Makings of a Hero
by Hero in the shadows1
Summary: A hero is formed through struggle and hardship. Ash Ketchum knows what it takes to be a hero. But being branded a criminal and exiled from the Five Regions can change a person. What will he become, a fallen hero or a dark avenger? And what do the powers of life and destruction have to do with it? Contains blood, violence and death. Not for kids.
1. The end and the beginning

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or any of the affiliates.**

Savior, protector... hero. I had been called all of those things by many people at one point or another. I protected people and Pokémon, not for money or fame but because it was the right thing to do. I fought for them, bled for them and sacrificed everything for them. Most of the time it wasn't even people that I knew, just someone that needed help and I was there to do it. Granted, I never did all this alone, usually my current traveling companions helped too but I was the one who risked his very life for strangers. Saving the world had almost become a full time job since I, Ash Ketchum, began my journey all those years ago at the age of ten.

However despite all that I had accomplished for the world, I never accomplished my dreams, my goals, the thing that I set out to do the day I left Pallet Town with Pikachu. No, my dreams took a backburner so the world could be protected from the evil that plagued it. Don't get me wrong, I love this world and all the creatures and people in it and I'm glad I was able to help when I could, but it just bugs me that I HAD to save it. An eleven or twelve year old shouldn't have to bear the fate of the world on his shoulders while the so called good guys sat back and watched me sacrifice everything to keep the world safe. But as I would learn later life isn't fair and there are some people you just can't save.

There are many ways to torture a man that have been crafted over the many centuries that man has lived on earth. Some are violent and are meant to harm his body like lashings, beatings and electric shocks. Others are more subtle and are meant to harm his mind like depriving him of his senses, making him watch others be tortured and killing the ones that he loves. The torture I was being put through was a combination of the two making it that much easier to break my spirit, which is the point of most tortures in the first place. I had to go clothes shopping with my mom. Now I'm no stranger to women shopping having survived both May and Dawn's shopping sprees but this was far worse. Instead of just carrying the bags I had to actually try on the clothes. So after surviving four stores and thirty changes of clothes I was happy to be heading down toward the entrance of the Goldenrod Department Store. By the third floor my arms were killing me from all the bags that I was carrying so my mom and I sat down on a bench to rest. "Ash dear, could you go and get us some drinks from that vending machine over there please?" Delia, my mom, asked politely. "I'll watch Pikachu and the bags ok."

"Sure mom, no problem." I replied with a tired sigh as Pikachu hopped onto my mom's lap to take a quick snooze while I got the drinks. If I had known that was the last time that I would see them, I would have cherished that moment more. Taken in all the little details in their faces and told them how much I loved them and needed them in my life, but you never realize what you've got till it's gone.

**BOOM! **That was the last thing that I heard before the pain started. The explosion literally blew me out the third story window and landed me right in front of the Pokémon Center which was very lucky because I wouldn't have survived very long in the shape I was in. Most of my body was covered in burns from the blast, I had multiple broken bones from the fall and I was bleeding everywhere from the glass cutting me when I was forced through it. The physical pain was excruciating but what I would learn later would hurt me more than any injury ever could.

* * *

><p>It's an unnerving feeling to wake up somewhere and not know where you are or how you got there. Your eyes open and it is different than when you closed them and you have no idea how you got there and you begin to panic. Then fear creeps up on you, your heart starts beating fast and your afraid until someone answers your questions. My answers came in the form of a Nurse Joy who calmly eased my worries and explained the situation of how I came to be in the Pokémon Center in the first place. I remembered bits and pieces of what happened but Joy helped fill in the blanks of the situation. After the first blast blew me out the window, a fire started and spread through the whole store in minutes. The entire store was ablaze in just fifteen minutes and collapsed before the fire department could put it out. "What about my mom and Pikachu? They were still in there! What about all those people? What happened to them? Tell me!" I shouted at Joy. She was surprised by my sudden outburst and backed a few steps away from me before lowering her and saying in just above a whisper "There were over three hundred people who never got out of the building. They are still clearing the building away to get to the bodies. I don't know about your mom or you Pikachu. I'm sorry"<p>

I didn't know what to say or more accurately couldn't say anything. What do you say when someone tells you that two people who had been all the family you had in the world had died along with three hundred other innocent people? I felt numb, like staying outside in the snow to long without a coat. I must have looked upset because I felt myself being pulled into a gentle hug and held tightly by someone who smelled like disinfectant and vanilla. "Everything will be alright Ash. " Joy softly whispered in my ear as she slowly rocked me like a mother would an upset child to calm it down. I don't know how long we stayed like that but finally she stopped rocking and whispered "I have to go. Try and get some sleep and I will check on you later."

"I will try. Oh and Joy, thank you for everything." I said with as much gratitude as I could.

"You're very welcome Ash." Joy replied as she left closing the door behind her.

I laid there thinking about everything that was going on and what was I going to do about it. There wasn't anything that I could do now till Joy released me but after that I would try and find some answers to what happened and where Pikachu and my mom were. As my eyes began to droop I realized how tired I was and drifted into a fitful, nightmare infested sleep about my mother and best friend trapped in a burning building.

* * *

><p>Waking from a nightmare is a relief but scary experience. You're relieved that it was only in your head but still scared from the experience and from the flashbacks that occur after you have woken up. I experienced all of that but with an added bit of shock to go with it. I was handcuffed to my bed and there were police all around my hospital room going through my tattered back pack that had survived the blast, examining the remains of clothes but the thing that bothered me the most was the were taking my poke balls. What happened in the next few minutes was in retrospect horrible and unbelievable. I of course began yelling and demanding to be released and to have my stuff back. The commanding officer, a Jenny with quite a bit of gray in her hair, told me to calm down and that she would explain everything. First she told me that my mother and Pikachu's bodies had been recovered from the building. I could feel the tears streaming down my face but nodded so she would continue. Then she went on to explain that the investigation had uncovered that a fire type Pokémon had caused the explosion. This confused me at first but she went on to explain that a few witnesses confirmed that my charizard had caused it under my command and that I was under arrest for the murder of over three hundred people.<p>

Fuzzy blur. That's the best way to describe the next month of my life. Everything was happening so fast I could barely keep up; couple that with a severe lack of sleep and that made everything hard to follow. I was able to notice the important things happening or more like I was forced to see them. Confused? Let me explain, I was released from the hospital the day after I was arrested and taken immediately to a private holding cell, separate from the other prisoners. The main feature of my cell was a TV but strangely it was behind bulletproof glass. I understood later why it was behind that glass. They made me watch all the news coverage of the incident from the police saying that they apprehended the "suspect" to the family interviews. **I HATED THAT DAMN TV! ** It reminded me that my mom and Pikachu were gone and never coming back but then it added to the weight on my shoulders when I saw all the families grieving for their loved they had lost. I felt for them I really did until they began calling me things that made me see red. Arsonist, killer, terrorist... murderer. There was no escape from it either. I couldn't sleep, the nightmares were worse than reality and when I was awake the TV was on that... garbage! Even when I didn't watch it I could still hear it. The crying of mothers, the angry yells of fathers calling for my head but the worst were the interviews. Not victims, no for these they went and found people who knew me and asked their opinion of me. I learned a lot about what people thought of me, it really cleared my eyes of any misconceptions I had of them and myself. Sure there were some who danced around the subject but they were few while others just denounced me as dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible. These were people that I had cared for, fought to protect and even loved, were throwing me under the bus so to speak. I had wondered why none of them had come to see in the hospital or here at the jail now. I understood crystal clear now. That was the last straw that broke the camel's back. I couldn't take losing my family and all my friends, I basically shutdown. "Seems like a zombie" one of the guards had said and he wasn't wrong. I held a permanent blank expression and hardly moved unless I had to and that's how my life went till the end of the trial.

* * *

><p>My lawyer was a smart man who had worked many murder cases before but never one quite like mine. A minor killing over three hundred people isn't your run of the mill type of case. I had refused to plead guilty, which had frustrated him because the evidence and witness testimony against me was overwhelming. Everyone thought that I was guilty including the jury who were unanimous in their decision. All that was left to deal with was what to do with me. They seemed to be having a hard time deciding what to do with a sixteen year old who committed such an atrocity but that didn't stop them from dealing with charizard. The day after I was declared guilty they tried to execute the "dangerous beast", news papers words not mine. They made the unfortunate mistake in thinking that he would die quietly. Boy were they wrong, he was a proud and powerful dragon and wouldn't just lay down and die. He would fight for his life to the very end and I was so proud of him. Unfortunately for charizard, Lance and his dragonite were there to supervise and gave him the fight he wanted. The battle was brutal and lasted for more than an hour and nearly exhausted dragonite before charizard finally fell. You could see the deep respect in Lance and dragonite's eyes for the proud dragon that fought so valiantly for its right to live. A week after charizard's death they came to a decision which would benefit them greatly, exile. Exile out of the five regions, I'm out of their hair, they don't have to feed me for the rest of my life and the public is satisfied with my punishment, everyone wins.<p>

I was told the day after my exile was announced that I would be taken to my exile in the morning. It didn't matter to me, I just wanted to get it over with and get away from that damn TV. Getting away from all these people and out by myself in the wilderness sounds very appealing compared to the last few weeks of my life. But my hatred of all people would be challenged later that night by two people that I didn't expect. Paul Ikari and Lily Waterflower came to see me at about eight o'clock and that shocked me out of my zombie like state. Paul was as serious as ever with the same no nonsense expression he always had. His clothes were the same as his attitude, they hadn't changed either. He didn't say anything as he came in, just looked me over as if trying to figure me out. Paul's companion was less composed than him. Lilly looked like she had been crying for days and hadn't slept very well recently but still looked as lovely as ever. She was wearing a dark blue dress that showed her figure and set off her bright pink hair that she wore down on her shoulders which were bare except for the thin straps of the dress. Once they walked in there was an uneasy silence that occurred while they were looking me over till it was broken by Paul. "Ash, we came to see you. The news said that they were shipping you off tomorrow and we needed to see you before you left."

"Why, so you can call me a monster, a terrorist and a murderer like all my other so called friends did!" I said with hurt and anger lacing my voice. "If your going to do it don't bother I've heard enough for a lifetime."

Paul was shocked by the outburst but it caused Lilly to react. "It's nothing like that Ash! We aren't like all those other guys, we really do care about you whether you believe it or not. But if you don't want us here we can go and leave you to..."

"No! Don't!" I interrupted. "Please don't leave me alone." I paused for a moment then continued. "I'm sorry if I was an ass. I've no excuse for it and you haven't anything wrong to deserve such contempt." I spoke in a low barely heard voice.

"Oh Ash." Lilly spoke "It's ok, after all you've been through it's understandable to be angry. We didn't expect you to trust us right away. I know you and I were never really close before and from what Paul has told me, you and him never saw eye to eye but we are here for you. We care about you and we know that you didn't do those horrible things. We believe in you and I uh we don't want you to go." Lilly finished with tears streaming down her face. Paul looked slightly uncomfortable but got over it quickly. "Listen Ash, we just want to let you know that you're not alone ok? And I promise to try and figure out who framed you."

"What? How are you going to do that, Paul?" I replied with surprise.

Paul smirked. "By becoming champion that's how. Champions are allowed to lead teams of G-Men. I will find the truth Ash."

My mouth was open in shock. Paul was willing to become champion, a public figure who had to be nice and communicate with people just for me. After I thought about it though my thoughts turned grim. "I appreciate that Paul, but it's unnecessary. I'm being exiled tomorrow and you will probably never see me again. So thanks but don't bother." I spoke as I turned to walk to the other side of the cell. Lilly started crying harder and that made me stop. My mom raised me too well to let a women cry for something that I did. But it raised some odd questions in my head. Why was she so upset about me leaving? Was I missing something? "Please don't cry Lilly. A beautiful girl shouldn't cry." I said in my most caring voice as I moved close to the bars of my cell. "I'm sorry Lilly I really am. I didn't mean to make you upset."

She had stopped crying and was looking at me with a look I wasn't familiar with. I was trying to figure out where I'd seen it when she rushed forward and gave me a hug. Well as good a one you can give with metal bars in the way. We stayed that way for a while till she started to pull back but just as our heads passed each other she came forward and caught my lips with hers. It wasn't long but it light my face up with a blush. As she pulled away she had a blush on her face as well. We looked at each other for a while before she finally said. "Please come back someday. Please." Before I could say anything she ran out of the room leaving me and Paul alone. Paul chuckled. "Well ladies man, I have to go. You take care of yourself out there ok." Then he turned to leave I called to him." Paul wait."

He stopped at the door and turned to me." Yes Ash, what is it?"

"You know why they choose exile. You're smart, you've probably figured it out." I stated calmly.

He gave a curt nod so I continued. "I'm not meant to survive and after all that's happened, I don't know if I want to."

He stood there letting what I said sink in, choosing his words carefully. "Don't let all the bad memories kill you Ash. Good memories can save your life. Goodbye, my friend." Closing the door behind him to let me think over all that happened by myself.

* * *

><p>The ride was rough but quick probably because the helicopter was military and was meant for function not comfort. I spent the ride looking at my new "home" from above and wasn't impressed. It was just trees and more trees as far as the eyes could see. It was still better than the cell on the boat ride here that I was stuck in for a week. The cell didn't have a window so the only way I knew day from night was what food they gave me. Oatmeal for breakfast and ham and cheese sandwiches for supper. While I was looking out the window, I felt like I was being watched by someone. I ignored it for a while but finally I turned to see Lance looking at me with a curious expression on his face, like he was trying to see the monster that everyone else was calling me. He had been there through the trial so he knew that I had pleaded innocent even though I could have gotten a smaller punishment if I had pleaded guilty. He was starting to get on my nerves so I spoke with frustration in my voice." Will you stop staring; I've been treated like a caged animal enough without you doing that."<p>

He blinked for a few seconds before starting "Sorry I'm just trying to figure something out."

"And what's that, Mr. Champion?" I stated dryly.

"What you're going to do when you get off this helicopter, Inmate Ketchum." he stated with sarcasm in his voice.

I grimaced slightly at the "inmate" remark but let it slide. "It doesn't matter, you won't see me ever again so what happens after you leave is none of your concern."

"Mmm Hmm, I don't believe that and neither do you." Lance stated in a confident tone. "I believe the world isn't done with you yet and you will overcome this. It will be damn near impossible but I've seen and heard you do amazing things. We are here Ash." Lance said as he opened the door. "Good luck Ash and goodbye for now that is." he said as he gave me my survival pack and climbed back in the helicopter as it took off.

* * *

><p>I couldn't hear the helicopter anymore which meant that I was finally alone. I looked around and found a nice tree and sat down against it to gather my thoughts and check my pack. It didn't have much, just a few basics like water bottle, bed roll, a small tent and a knife. I stared at the knife for a long time looking it over. It wasn't anything fancy, just ten inch blade with a black handle and leather holster. I ran the blade along my finger as a trail of blood followed behind it. I then gripped it with both hands with the blade facing my chest and closed my eyes to wait for the end. But as soon as I closed my eyes images flashed before my eyes. Lance telling me good luck, Paul calling me his friend, Lilly giving me a hug and kiss, and finally my mom with Pikachu in her arms and they were smiling at me. I gasped as I opened my eyes and threw the knife down. Paul had been right about good memories saving your life. A low growl brought me back to reality as I looked around for the source of the sound. There were eyes in the bushes and the shadows of the trees all around me. I spotted at least five pairs of eyes and heard some more growls as they got closer. Just as the fear started to creep up on me a voice in my head said. "Please come back. Please" Then I knew what I had to do. Survive and to do that you had to follow the law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest. I grabbed the knife and got into a crouch as a small growl escaped my lips. Then a set of teeth and claws jumped at me and the battle began.<p> 


	2. Survival

Chapter 2

**Please read and review. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates.**

An older couple stood at the window of their small home looking out at the young man interacting with the group of Pokémon surrounding him. The older man had his arms crossed and an expression of deep thought on his face as he watched the "boy" as he called him. Next to him was his wife, who had her head on his shoulder and a smile on her face as she watched her "son" play with his Pokémon. She was so focused on watching him actually smile and enjoy himself, two things he very rarely did, that she jumped when her husband cleared his throat.

"Geez dear, don't do that!" she exclaimed as she lightly slapped him on the shoulder."You scared me."

"Sorry Yellow." he said quickly never taking his eyes off of the scene outside which Yellow noticed with a smirk.

"You really are proud of him aren't you?" she asked already knowing the answer. Her husband, Red, wasn't good at expressing his emotions, but they had been together for a long time. A lot longer than Yellow would like to admit, but all that time together gave her quite a bit of experience in knowing what her husband was thinking and feeling.

"Yes, I am. But also worried about what will happen to him." Red sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Don't worry dear, he isn't the same as he was three years ago. We have helped him recover and grow into a new person." she spoke as she rubbed his shoulders to ease some of his anxiety. "I've helped him with heal his body and get his mind sorted out. Plus I've taught him how to cook, use computers and be a gentleman. All the while you helped him with Pokémon and his aura problem."

Red chuckled "I think I made that problem worse, not better."

It was true, when the boy showed up he was basically an animal in almost every way. His hair was long and thick like a Luxray's mane, he only walked on all fours and his eyes held a fierceness that only predators have. The biggest problem though was his aura, humans normally can't control aura without proper training but animals can from birth albeit they don't do it consciously. The aura flows through their body giving them heightened senses and reflexes along with increasing their physical strength. Somehow, the boy had done the same thing but his aura was conflicted in his body. He would be blazing with white, radiant aura when his state of mind was in a good place and then recede and curl up to a pitch black darkness that would consume him when he was hurting emotionally. Red had, with the gentle hand of Yellow, helped regain the boy's humanity but the issue with his aura wasn't a quick fix. Even with Red's years of experience with aura he could only do so much to help, the rest was up to the boy. He had improved greatly but in moments of weakness or anger, the darkness would creep up and consume him and only gentle and soothing words could bring him back. The biggest problem now was that he was better trained in aura and therefore far more destructive. Red shivered slightly at the thought of the last time the boy had a "bad day". There was a large wasteland where a forest used to be.

Red was brought back from his thoughts by Yellow turning his face towards her. "You did what you thought was right. Now he just needs closure to heal the wounds in his heart."

"I know, I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Yellow chuckled "I know dear, I don't like it either but he needs to go back to the Five Regions. It's where he belongs, not out in the wild with two old folks. Now go tell him the news while I get supper ready."

"Yes dear." Red grumbled as he walked out to tell his apprentice, Ash Ketchum, that he had to return to the Five Regions. It wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

* * *

><p>Pokémon are amazing creatures. I've always thought this even when I was little and saw my first Pokémon. They have amazing powers and can survive so much damage but bounce right back and keep going. However the thing that I find truly amazing about them is how different their personalities are when they are in a battle and when they are playing and relaxing. I was watching a prime example of that right in front of me as four of my largest and most aggressive Pokémon: Steelix, Tyranitar, Rhyperior, and Aggron were letting the two babies of the group, Pichu and Igglybuff, run on top of them. It was strange to see the massive Pokémon, who could destroy mountains, be so careful and gentle with the little ones. But our fun was interrupted by the older man who walked up behind me. It was Master Red; I didn't have to look to know it was him for a few reasons. One of them was that we were on an island with only three humans, so not a lot of choices and the other reason was the more mature Pokémon gave a slight bow of respect as he approached. Red, the Pokémon Master and the long absent Champion of Kanto, commanded respect from both human and Pokémon alike with just his presence. He was so good with Pokémon it was unreal, big or small, aggressive or sweet they all loved him. A few years ago he would have been everything I wanted to be but now I'm not so sure. Things have changed so much, my situation has changed, and I've changed. I'm no longer the short scrawny kid that I was. Puberty had done wonders for me. I am about five foot nine inches with a lean muscular build; my hair is longer and covered my eyes which I'm thankful for. I may have been blessed physically but I knew I was conflicted in my soul. I used my long hair to hide my eyes from my Pokémon, Red and Yellow so they don't see the conflict in them. This internal conflict comes from the events that brought me to this wilderness. The explosion, the death of my mom and Pikachu, the betrayal of most everyone I know, the trial and the conviction. After that I don't remember the first two years of my exile, just flashes of images that come in my nightmares. A flash of claws, gnashing of teeth, and blood, so much blood.<p>

"Calm down boy!" Red yelled. I opened my eyes and saw my aura visibly flaring around me like a black flame that would burn me to nothing. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Yes Master I'm sorry."

"Don't let the hate and anger consume you boy."

"Yes Master." I spoke quietly. I looked up at Red and saw he was hesitant and nervous about something. "Is something wrong Master?"

He hesitates for a second before answering "No nothing's wrong. Can we talk in private, just the two of us?"

Something strange was definitely going on. Red never asked if we could talk in private before. He believed that you shouldn't keep secrets from your Pokémon. It showed that you trusted them and in return they would trust you. Whatever he wanted to talk about must be very important or possibly dangerous. "Of course Master." I said and then turned to my Pokémon "I'll be right back guys. Just keep playing ok."

Red lead me to a clearing about two hundred yards away from the house and turned to face me. "Ash, you have been my apprentice for two and a half years, you have grown to be a fine young man and one of the best aura students I've ever had."

"Thank you Master but I had a good teacher."

Red chuckled "Yes well not good enough. There is something I've known for a while now about you Ash. About why you were out here in the wilderness in the first place."

Crap! Crap! Crap! Why does this have to happen now when everything was going so well? I had a new family, new Pokémon that I cared about and a new home. Now my past was coming to take it all away. The panic and fear must have showed on my face because Red continued quickly.

"Don't worry boy." Red said with a smirk "I know that you didn't do those things those idiots said you did. If I thought you had done that do you think I would have let you stay with us for the past few years?"

"Well, no but how did you even know about all that? There's not TV, phone or internet out her, so how did you know what happened and that I was innocent?" I said, glad that someone else finally believed me.

"Well when you first showed up, I started looking into who you were. I sent out courier pidgy to a few contacts of mine that can find out anything about anybody. By noon the next day I knew everything about you, from what your first Pokémon was to who the last person you talked to was. My contacts also did some snooping and figured out what really happened that day."

"Did they find out who was behind the bombing?" I interrupted with a glimmer of hope in my voice.

Red sighed at the question. He knew it was coming and had hoped that Ash would be able to accept it and not do something rash. "Yes Ash they did. My sources uncovered evidence that Team Rocket was behind it. Team Rockets boss, Giovanni was captured and executed for crimes too numerous to count."

Ash just stared back with a blank expression, waiting for Red to continue. "After everyone found out that it was Team Rocket and not you, you were pardoned." Red paused to let that sink in then after a nod from Ash he continued "That was two years ago."

"Two years?!" I exclaimed "Why didn't you tell me then?" I asked slightly angry that he had kept this from me.

"I'm sorry Ash, I really am but the way you were back then I didn't think you would be able to handle it." Red explained. "The reason I'm telling you this now is that you are better than you were and can handle it. Now that I've told you this, you need to use this information for the next thing I'm going to say."

"And what's that, Master?" I spoke with my voice cracking slightly.

Red looked at Ash for a second before working up the nerve to say what he didn't want to say."Yellow and I have talked about this and came to a decision. We think it would be best for you, if you were to return to the Five Regions."

There was a silence in the forest that followed Red's words that lasted for about five minutes before Yellow's voice broke the silence "Dinner time!"

"Come on boy. Let's eat and you can think it over." Red said in a somber tone as he put his arm around Ash to usher the silent boy to the house.

Dinner was a quiet affair with men just staring at my food with the occasional bite here and there. Yellow had given Red a questioning look when we came in which he had answered with a nod. Yellow had looked at me but I avoided her gaze mostly so I wouldn't have to see the sympathy in her eyes. After I had eaten dinner I went to my room to clear my head and figure this all out. What was I going to do? How could I go back to a place that I had hated for years? Where would I go and more importantly who could I trust? Most everyone I knew had thought that I was guilty. Did they still think that and if they didn't could I forgive them for what they did to me? Forgiveness was a rare thing in the wilderness and I wasn't sure if I even knew how anymore. All these questions were making my head hurt so I laid down to sleep on it. Maybe tomorrow everything would be clearer.

* * *

><p>The morning had been peaceful with eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast with little conversation between the two people at the table. Red and Yellow had been up since seven in the morning waiting for Ash to come in. Normally Ash was up at six to begin his training before breakfast but it was almost eleven and he still wasn't up yet.<p>

"He's fine hunny." Red said in a soothing tone to calm his anxious wife. "He will come down when he is ready. It was a lot to take in, I'm sure he's just trying to sort it all out."

"I know, I know. I'm just worried about him that's all."

"I understand dear." Red said as he turned to the hallway to see a familiar shape coming toward the kitchen. Red grinned as he saw the two small Pokémon perched on Ash's shoulders rubbing against his cheeks trying to cheer him up. Giving them to Ash was Yellow's idea to help Ash regain his compassion and caring for others. It had worked surprisingly well, the little Pokémon were only a few days old at the time and when they had looked at him with those big cute eyes you could see him melt. The two little Pokémon had brought him out of the darkness and given him something to care about. The Pichu was the daughter of Red and Yellow's Pikachus, while the Igglybuff had come from Yellow's friend, Green. Igglybuff also helped Ash with his insomnia which was an added bonus. Those three were good for each other, Ash became a dad and the babies got a dad. Win, win.

"Good morning Ash. Sleep well?" Yellow spoke in a caring, motherly tone as she set down the book she had been reading.

"Yes fine thanks for asking. Listen there are some things that I want to ask you two." Ash answered in a serious business like tone of voice.

Red and Yellow shared a look before Red spoke "Ok what do you want to know?"

Ash was silent for a moment, like he was choosing his words carefully. "Paul. Tell me what you know about Paul."

"Well that's an easy one." Red smirked. "About two years ago he challenged and defeated Cynthia becoming the new Champion of Sinnoh. He has improved the region in the last two years, strengthening the gyms and trainers throughout the region. He is a somewhat distant nonpublic Champion, very different from Cynthia."

"So he actually did it." Ash whispered to himself. "Ok now next question, Lance?"

"Ha!" Red exclaimed in amusement. "What's to know? Lance is still the same stubborn, arrogant Champion of Johto that you knew. Anymore?"

"Just one, Lily Waterflower." Ash asked guiltily almost embarrassed.

Thankfully for Ash, Yellow spoke up for this one. "She began training seriously after you left. She was Cerulean Gym leader for two years before she became an apprentice to Juan in Hoenn. After a year and a half with him, she was selected to replace Aaron in Paul's Elite Four."

Ash sat silently soaking up all of this information. The part about Lance had made him smile but the other parts had really surprised him. Paul becoming Champion and keeping his word proved how much he had changed from the cold, arrogant boy that he used to be to the leader of a prospering region. It made Ash very proud to call Paul a friend. If what Ash heard about Paul was a shock then what he heard about Lily was unbelievable. When Ash knew her, she was never much of a battler, mostly focused on show business. The fact that she was not only a trainer but an Elite Four member was incredible and Ash felt happy that she was so successful. Thinking about Lily had caused Ash to blush slightly. He had thought about that night Lily and Paul had come to see him a lot. Her kissing him was something that had puzzled Ash for years. Why had she done it? What had it meant? But most importantly if she did have feelings for him, had they gone away over the past five years? Ash's head was so puzzled that he almost didn't feel Yellow hold his hand and ask "Are you ok hunny? You've been awful quiet."

"Sorry, just thinking. But I think you are right I need to go back, I need to be with the people I care about. Don't get me wrong, you two have done so much for me. I can never repay you for all you have done. Thank you, both of you."

"Don't worry about it boy." Red spoke from his chair across the table. "Just go and get a life and when you do come back and I'll buy you a drink." Red smiled a genuine smile that Ash returned. Seeing this exchange between the two men, Yellow started crying making both men uncomfortable. Red moved up and held Yellow till she calmed down. Once everyone was calmed down, Ash turned and asked Pichu and Igglybuff. "What do you two think?" The two Pokémon shared a look and then nuzzled Ash's cheeks. "Ha ha I'll take that as a yes." Turning back to Red and Yellow, "Well looks like I'm going back. Sinnoh here we come."


	3. The Return

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates.**

The wind was warm and sweet smelling with very little turbulence making it the perfect day to be flying. It was the most relaxed that I had been in a long time and I didn't want it to end. Skarmory was also enjoying the pleasant day and was riding the wind and didn't really have to do much flapping. We had been flying for three days and had very little problems with the weather other than the occasional rain shower. The calm, peaceful environment had given me a lot of time to think about all the questions running through my head. Why was I framed for that crime and who framed me? Who of my friends could I trust? What would Paul and Lily think of me now?

Lily, that was a big question that I had no answer to and it caused many more questions to come to mind. Why had she been so emotional when she came to see me? Why had she kissed me? What had it all meant? "Argh! My head hurts!" I shake my head to help clear it. I can't be doing this right now, I need to focus. I had told Red and Yellow that I would go to Sinnoh but the closer I got, the less I was sure about it. I did want to see Paul and Lily but deep down I was scared. They had supported me when no one else would but would they still accept me after all I had been through and done? Five years was a long time, maybe a little longer wouldn't hurt.

"Skarmory, change course head southeast." Skarmory nodded and changed course accordingly. "That's better, this feels easier." I thought. "Tell me when you see mainland, ok." Skarmory nodded in understanding. With that settled, I laid against Skarmory's back to try and get some sleep. Emphasis on try.

Hoenn was just as warm as I remembered it; as soon as we landed I had to take off the hoodie that Yellow had given me. I returned Skarmory and began walking towards Rustboro City, which I had seen as we were landing. The short walk to Rustboro made me realize how much I had changed in my view of the world. I had been in the wilderness so long with creatures that could rip you to shreds in seconds but here the Pokémon were more scared of me than I was of them. Sure some of the brave ones came up to me, but it was out of curiosity more than wanting to attack. The fact that I could walk down the path and not have to counter attacks from either side was an unfamiliar experience for me. I was broken out of my little comparison by the noise of the city.

* * *

><p>I gazed around at the most people that I had seen in five years. It was the middle of the afternoon and everyone was out and about enjoying the beautiful weather. As I began walking through the town, I noticed I was getting odd stares and hushed whispers as I passed people. I let it slide at first till I passed a store with big windows and got a look at my reflection, and then I knew why they were doing all that. I didn't have a hat so my shoulder length mane of black hair was sticking up all over from flying and had some leaves caught in it. My hoodie was fairly new but since I wasn't wearing it you could see my holey, dirty used to be white shirt along with my dirty blue jeans. My boots had seen better days and had the steel toe showing through the leather though you could barely tell with all the dried mud caked to them. All the whispers and looks made sense now; I looked like a hobo or something I smirked at the thought. I guess clothes and a haircut come first so I don't draw too much attention to myself. Luckily, Yellow had given me some money before I left; I figure she probably expected this to happen.<p>

The clothing store and Salon had been interesting experiences to say the least. When I went into the clothing store, the young women behind the counter gave me a look of disgust like I was covered in Tauros shit or something. I ignored her and went and picked out some new leather, a few pairs of blue jeans, four or five plain white t shirts and a black jacket. I thought about a hat but I didn't want to look too much like I used to so I decided against it. I went and paid for all of it and asked the girl if I could change and wear them out. "Sure, just use the dressing room in the back." she said without looking up from her magazine. After getting changed I put my old clothes in the trash and the spare clothes in my backpack, then went to leave and told the girl thank you as I passed. Strangely she was looking at me but she wasn't disgusted, instead she had a small blush on her face. I smirked to myself as I left "That was quite the switch. Dumb broad is too stuck on appearances." I said quietly with a small smirk.

I made my way to a salon nearby but if I had been getting a lot of looks before, that was multiplied now. It seemed that the population liked my change and were openly giggling when I would look at them. It gave my inexperienced male ego a boost which felt pretty good to be honest. As I stepped into the Salon I looked around to see women everywhere. I was able to go to an older woman with a magazine who treated me just like any other customer, which I was very thankful for. That didn't stop the other women from sneaking glances at me and with all the women staring at me I was starting to feel like a freak.

"Do you get many men in here?" I asked the older stylist.

"He he" she chuckled "Yeah a few, but most are just locals. Don't mind the young ones hunny. Their hormones will calm down when they get older and they'll learn not to ogle a real man when they see one."

"Thanks, I think." I said as she continued cutting my hair in silence.

* * *

><p>The sun was starting to set as I exited the Salon with my new haircut: shorter on the sides and back with it slightly longer on the top and front. Guess I better set up a camp I thought as I walked to the edge of town and into the trees. When I was out of sight of the town I sat down to eat and let Pichu and Igglybuff out to eat and stretch. After they had their food, I sat against a tree eating my sandwich while looking up through the trees. The stars are just as beautiful here as they were at Red's house. They shined just as brightly and even when the clouds cover them they are still there, shining even if you can't see them. They are little lights in the sea of darkness. The two little Pokémon in front of me are my lights in my world of darkness. They brighten my day with just a smile or a nuzzle on the cheek. They are my family. I must have been star gazing for a while because when I looked at my watch it said ten thirty but I wasn't tired at all. Maybe a walk around town will tire me out, "You two want to go for a walk?" giving Pichu and Igglybuff a glance. Igglybuff shook her head but Pichu jumped up and down in excitement. "Ok let's go look around." I spoke as I returned Igglybuff to her pokeball.<p>

The city was a completely different place with the sun down. The streets were illuminated by old fashioned street lamps but there were no people walking the streets. It was like a ghost town, which was a huge contrast from the hustle and bustle I had walked through earlier. The lack of people did have some advantages though, like not being ogled at like a piece of meat. The main advantage however was with no people; you could look at the scenery undisturbed. I never noticed on my first trip through, the flowers planted near the houses, the different colors of the houses, or the beauty of the city itself. Slowing down and appreciating the little things like this was something that I never did when I was younger and I regret it greatly. Instead of rushing around like an idiot going for badges, I should have slowed down and enjoyed the journey to its fullest.

A clanging noise broke me out of my thoughts and brought my senses on full alert. In seconds I spotted the source of the noise, a young boy near a trash can. The boy looked grubby, like he hadn't had a bath in days; his clothes were torn and thin like they had been worn a lot. He hadn't noticed me and Pichu, so we stood and watched him for a minute or two. He seemed to be about ten or eleven years old, but he didn't have any pokeballs on him which was strange in this day and age. By ten everyone had at least one Pokémon as a companion, even if they didn't battle. Things got stranger as the boy started taking scraps of food out of the can and eating them. All the pieces clicked into place then after that. The boy must be homeless but I thought young kids like this stayed at orphanages or homeless shelters? The old me would have went and done anything to help the boy but times have changed. I had wasted too much time and effort helping people I didn't know and for what. To have my name and honor thrown in the mud, my mother and two of my best friends killed, and cast out of the Five Regions like a piece of trash. Fuck that! I don't care, I may have been courteous to the people that I met today but that's as far as it goes. No more savior, no more protector, no more hero. As I made up my mind and turned to walk away, I felt a small shock from my shoulder.

"Pi pi pichu pic pi." Pichu said in an angry, urgent tone while pointing at the boy.

"What?! It's not our problem." I said in a matter a fact tone. "Pi pichu pi." while crossing its arms.

"Fine but only one." I said defeated. The whole Pichu evolutionary line are stubborn little shits. I dug around in my backpack till I found one of the sandwiches I had left. As I made my way to the boy I noticed he was watching me carefully, so I put up my hands.

"Calm down boy. I just wanted to give you this." as I tossed him the wrapped sandwich. "Enjoy" I spoke as I turned and walked away I heard a Thank you mister.

Why had I done that? Was it Pichu's stubborn resolve to help the boy or had I not changed as much as I thought I had? I had caved so easily too, with barely even an argument or struggle. Maybe the two little ones had more influence over me than I thought, not only showing me kindness but also restoring my ability to show kindness to others. Was that Red and Yellow's plan when they gave them to me, to help me return to my old self? But I didn't want to be like that anymore, did I? NO! NO! NO! I shook my head in frustration. The old me is dead, he died with his family in that fire. I would be stronger than him and protect only those important to me. The world, the league, even the legendaries can take care of themselves. Not my problem anymore.

With my new resolve, I figured I would head back toward my spot in the woods to catch some Z's. Just as we got to the edge of the forest, an ear piercing scream rang out. Definitely not a Pokémon I thought "Oh well" I said and shrugged my shoulders and kept walking. As soon as I did, some weight left my shoulder and I turned to see Pichu running off toward where the scream came from. "Damn it I don't want to get involved!" I said angrily but Pichu needs me so I took off after her. With my aura sight I could follow her easily and hopefully stop her from getting into trouble. But as I rounded the corner and took in the scene before me, I knew there was trouble.

There were three men in a half circle and one in the middle pinning someone to the wall. The three men in the half circle were of average build with leather jackets on while the one in the middle was smaller in stature and wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Please just leave me alone." I heard a women's voice from the figure being pinned to the wall. "I didn't do anything, I was just walking home. Please let me go, you're hurting me!"

"He he bad luck I'm afraid girly." the smaller man chuckled. "You came into our turf so now you have to pay the price. Now usually we take cash but in your case we will take our payment another way." he said as he smirked and tore her shirt to reveal her black lace bra.

That was the last straw for me and Pichu too. She had started to charge electricity but I returned her before she hurt herself. After I put her pokeball away, I focused my aura throughout my body and attacked. Moving at an equivalent to Extreme Speed, I took out the small guy first with a kick to the side of the head which caused him to hit one of the other guys. Without stopping I brought the kick down to a low sweep on the two that were still standing and then finished one of them with a punch to the windpipe. The one who got hit with the small guy's body was starting to stand up until I brought my leg down guillotine style across the back of his neck breaking it. With three of the four neutralized, I reached down and grabbed the fourth one by his throat and lifted him off his feet.

"Who do you work for? Answer me!" I spoke darkly while my eyes flared with a sinister black aura.

"Drop dead asshole." he choked out between breathes.

"Fine have it your way." I said as I turned my wrist. Snap! As I let the body fall to the ground in a heap with the others I calmed my flaming black aura. Then I turned to the girl who was huddled to the wall with her hands to her chest, almost in a fetal position. I walked towards her and offered my hand which made her flinch away from me. With a scowl I spoke "I'm not going to hurt you women. I will take you to the Pokémon Center, its safe there. Now get up." Reluctantly she took my hand and from her touch I could tell she was cold "Here take my jacket to cover yourself up."

"Thank you." she whispered. "Are they..."

"Dead? Yes, they won't be bothering you again now let's go." I urged impatiently.

The walk to the center was quiet just how I liked it until I let Pichu back out. She was happy to see the girl ok and gave me a nuzzle of approval. She didn't need to know what I did to the men and luckily she didn't quiz me. Instead she took it on herself to hop to the girls shoulder to snuggle and comfort her, which both seemed to enjoy. Once Pichu had calmed her a little bit, she began to talk and ask questions. "Thank you for saving me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along. I didn't introduce myself did I? My names Roxanne."

I froze on the spot upon hearing that. "Roxanne the gym leader?" I asked as I began to take a better look at her in the light of the street lamps. I knew it was her before she had time to answer. She had the same brown hair and petite face that I had faced for a badge all those years ago.

"Yes I am. Though I didn't act like one tonight. I couldn't even defend myself." she spoke sadly while petting Pichu softly.

"There were four of them. Anyone would have had trouble with those odds, gym leader or not. Now come on, the center is right there." I said trying to end this conversation as quick as possible. Roxanne wasn't one of the people who denounced me on TV but she was still a gym leader and gym leaders talk to each other. I didn't want anyone to know I was back especially a few of the gym leaders but I was having a hard time being towards her. I don't know if it was because Pichu seemed to like her so much or if it was my male hormones taking over my better judgment. Finally we got to the front doors of the Pokémon Center and I could get out of this uncomfortable situation. "Ok, we are here. Can I have Pichu and my jacket back?" I spoke in a cold voice and emotionless face to mask the turmoil in my head.

Roxanne seemed surprised as turned to finally get a good look at me and began to blush. "Oh here you go." she said while giving me my jacket while Pichu hopped to my shoulder. While using her hands to cover herself up she questioned me again. "Before you go, can you tell me your name? I'd like to repay you somehow but I would like to know the name of my rescuer. Please." she said with a genuine smile on her face.

I turned away from her and thought about what I should tell her. After a moment of thought, I turned my head so I could see her with one eye "I don't have a name anymore. It was tarnished and drug through the mud by ignorant people." I growled in a cold voice that made her shiver. "As for being your rescuer, you're mistaken. I was just punishing that scum for their crimes, saving you was just a side effect. Nothing more got it?"

"Oh, okay well thanks anyway." she spoke quietly with her head down as she turned to walk inside the center.

"Pi pi pichu." Pichu said while looking at me.

"No. They are not our problem I told you that."

"Pichu chu pipi pichu."

"Ok fine but this is the last time got it?"

"Pi." she agreed with a smug grin on her face.

"Roxanne wait." I said reluctantly.

"Yes what is it?" she asked with her head still down.

"If you want to repay me, make sure the homeless children in this town get into a shelter. OK?"

"Uh sure I can do that." she said with a surprised voice.

"Good. Now goodbye." I said and walked away into the night.


	4. Reunion Part 1

**Chapter 4**

** I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates.**

**A/N: I would like to thank all my faithful readers who have been reading my story and leaving the reviews. I really enjoy reading reviews; it lets me know what you all think of the story and its twists and turns. I would like to get into a Community if any will have me that is. Keep reading and reviewing. Thank you.**

It was a dark, rainy night at the Sinnoh Pokémon League Headquarters with the building mostly empty at the moment. There were very few lights on in the building but you couldn't see them from the outside anyway because of how hard it was raining. The only ones left in the twelve story building were the janitors and some very dedicated employees. During League events there would be dozens of people working through the night to ensure everything went smoothly. However the League competition had just ended, so the only event happening was an Elite Four Challenge but that was small compared to the League and only required one or two people. The one who got saddled with that job was currently in his office on the top floor, sitting at his large desk covered in papers, trying to make sure all the preparations were made and all the forms were filled out. As the clock on his desk chimed off midnight, he leaned back in his chair and yawned.

"Cynthia should have warned me about all this crap." he said quietly to himself. After stretching, the young man stood up and walked to a folder on a small table near a couch he had in his office for guests. The front of the folder read confidential in big, red letters and Top Secret in the bottom corner.

As he began flipping through the grim contents, a young woman entered the office with a knock. "Hey Paul, I figured you would still be here."

Paul glanced up from the folder for a brief second then began reading again. "Yeah, I got some extra work to get done or else Mr. Goodshow will have my rear end. What do you need Cynthia?"

Cynthia shrugged "Nothing just bored. Just getting ready to leave but I don't want to get soaked, so I'm waiting the rain out. By the way, what are you reading? It must be important with all that red on the front."

Paul sighed as he closed the file and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's a little trouble they are having in Hoenn. People getting killed kind of trouble."

"Oh I see." Cynthia said with sympathy in her voice, as an ex champion she was familiar with these kind of grim reports. "That's terrible. Is it some new team or gang doing this?"

"Well that's just it, the reports says it's just one person." Paul explained "There have been over fifty people killed in three months but they weren't exactly innocent people, all the people killed were in the act of committing a serious crime. Apparently they were all killed with blunt objects, but according to the police reports in this file some of the injuries were too severe to be caused by a human. The few eye witnesses say it was one man that moved to fast to follow with your eyes. They also said that he did it all with his bare hands."

"Wow that's incredible. What were the injuries?" Cynthia inquired, very interested with all this information.

"Well one of the victims had his leg broken but when they x rayed it during the autopsy they found that it wasn't broken but shattered into tiny pieces." Paul finished with a grim look on his face.

"Is that even possible for a human to do that?"

"If he was using a jackhammer on the leg, but normally no. Whoever this individual is, he is dangerous and powerful."

Cynthia tapped her finger to her chin. "I agree but if he is only attacking criminals, he can't be that bad. His methods are a little harsh but he is cleaning up the streets in Hoenn."

"He is doing that, crime has dropped by more than half in just three months." Paul looked at the report to check something. "And according to this the people of Hoenn see him as a hero; they have started calling him "The Guardian"."

"The Guardian." Cynthia recited. "Not bad but if he is a hero then why do you have that file on him?"

"Because the League wants him captured." Paul explained "They say he's a murderer and a vigilante that needs stopped. Since he is so dangerous, they want the champions and Elites to handle it." Paul stated while closing the folder and heading to his desk.

"Those fools!" Cynthia spat angrily. "They have someone cleaning up the streets for free and they want to stop him. That old coot Goodshow is getting more senile by the week."

"Nothing we can do about it Cynthia. You know that as well as I do." Paul said while looking out the window at the clearing night sky. "The rain has stopped, you can go home now. Goodnight Cynthia."

Sensing that the subject was closed, Cynthia headed for the door. "Goodnight Paul. I'll see you tomorrow at the Elite Four Challenge." Then closed the door behind her leaving Paul to his work and his thoughts.

* * *

><p>The crowd in the stadium was in an uproar of excitement over the battle going on between the challenger, Max Maple, a young man from Hoenn who had won the Sinnoh Pokémon League this year. He was battling against Lily Waterflower, the third seated Sinnoh Elite Four member. The battle had been a fierce back and forth between the two powerful trainers, neither one giving the other any slack and pushing each other to be the best. It was truly a wondrous and amazing thing to see.<p>

Unfortunately, Paul just couldn't seem to focus on the incredible match happening right in front of him. He was too distracted by the information he had received at the start of the match to focus. Scott had flown in from Hoenn on orders from Goodshow. It had surprised Paul that he hadn't just called but Scott said it was Top Secret and they couldn't afford any information leaks. According to Scott's sources, the killer of criminals "The Guardian" was coming to Sinnoh. At least that was the best estimate since there was no predicting him due to the little information they had on him. However the string of deaths in Hoenn followed the pattern of someone heading to Sinnoh. The real clincher to this theory had occurred that morning when Rangers found a body with similar injuries near the border to Sinnoh.

To say that Paul was worried would have been an understatement. It was plaguing his mind so badly that he didn't even notice that the match had ended. Lily had proved to be too much for Max and finished his Sceptile with her Dewgong. Paul stood up and applauded his Elite Four member, happy for her victory but also a little disappointed. Since he had become Champion, Paul hadn't had to defend his title even once. After Paul defeated Cynthia, she became the fourth Elite Four member and any challengers that got that far, never made it past her. Then when Lily came and took the third spot, all but a few were stopped by her making Paul's job rather boring. It had been a long time since he had gotten an exciting battle.

"You must be thinking hard, I can almost see the smoke coming from your ears."

"Very funny Cynthia." Paul replied dryly. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with Lily?"

"Na, she has one of her sisters and her other friends with her so she doesn't need me around." Cynthia stated with a shrug. "Besides, I saw Scott come in here with a grim look on his face when the match started and then leave halfway through. What was that all about?"

Paul sighed "Should I tell her?" Paul thought. "She will never let it go if I don't and she may have some advice that could be useful." With another sigh Paul answered. "Ok but let's go to the field ok?"

"Sure, I guess." Cynthia responded as they both turned and walked out of the private box and toward the battlefield.

By the time Paul and Cynthia made it to the battlefield everyone had left but since it was getting dark the stadium lights had come on. The lights made the destruction on the field even more evident, though the large craters and random boulders were had to miss.

"Geez they sure made a mess of this place." Cynthia said while looking around the field. "It will take days to clean all this up."

Paul hadn't spoken a word since they left the viewing box. He was still debating whether or not to tell Cynthia about "The Guardian" coming to Sinnoh. If he told her that, she would want to help find him and from all that Paul had read in that file last night and heard from Scott this afternoon, this man wasn't one to be taken lightly. Still, Cynthia was an ex-Champion and very capable of taking care of herself in dangerous situations.

"Cynthia, do you remember the conversation we were having last night?" Paul asked, unsure how best to approach the subject.

"You mean about the vigilante "The Guardian"? Yeah what about it?" she responded quizzically.

"Well Scott came to see me earlier as you saw." Paul explained. "He wanted to tell me or warn me really, that "The Guardian" was headed this way."

"Really? Well how would he know what direction or where this vigilante is heading?" she stated with doubt lacing her feminine voice.

"He's not one hundred percent sure but the deaths have been heading in this direction and the last one was near the border of Sinnoh." Paul stated grimly.

"Hmm well I guess we should treat this seriously even if it turns out to be nothing. We should have the Jennies be on the lookout and we need to figure some strategy of capturing him and bringing him in."

"Hold on Cynthia. All that is ok but we have to keep this quiet so we don't cause a public panic. Now you go and alert the Jennies, then in the morning we will tell the other elites ok." Paul said with authority in his voice.

"Ok, I'll get on it right away." she said while jogging toward the exit.

* * *

><p>After Cynthia had left, Paul crossed his arms and began looking around the field. "Cynthia was right, this place is a mess." Paul whispered to himself as he continued to walk around the battlefield. It had been quite a while since Paul had been on an official battlefield. Sure he had used training fields but they just weren't the same. There was something special about a battlefield with a huge stadium surrounding it and all the lights shining down on you. It was the ultimate stage for any Pokémon trainer to be on and Paul missed it. The dust in the air, the roar of the crowds, the clashing of Pokémon made it an incredible experience that most trainers only experienced a few times in their life.<p>

Being on this grand stage brought back so many memories for Paul, some good and some bad. Throughout Paul's career as a trainer he had been in many battles in stadiums just like this and they were battles he would never forget. A deep voice broke Paul out of his reminiscing.

"Paul Ikari, Champion of Sinnoh."

Paul jumped in surprise; he had thought that he was alone in the stadium. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Paul said while scanning the area.

"Ha ha ha." the voice laughed. "You seem awful nervous for a champion. Is fear of the unknown making you nervous Paul?"

"I'm not nervous." Paul said as calmly as he could. "I just prefer to see who I'm talking to, so come out where I can see you."

The voice sighed. "Ok as you wish." There was a swish of wind and from a few feet behind Paul he heard "Is this better?"

Paul spun around to see a man about his age and height with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. He was wearing blue jeans, boots and a black jacket with a hood that matched his black hair. The man looked familiar but Paul couldn't recall from where. Once Paul got over his initial shock, he replied. "Yes much better. Now that we can see each other properly, could I get your name since you seem to already know mine?"

"Ah, I see we have come to a little snag." the man said with that smug look still on his face. "You see, I don't have a name at least not anymore."

"How can you not have a name? Everyone has a name. Well, what do people call you then?" Paul was getting suspicious of this stranger and a bad feeling was welling up in his stomach.

"Why I don't have a name is a long story, one that I don't feel like sharing right now." the man said in a sad tone. "As for what people call me, well there are many things but most of them aren't very nice. The one that seems to have stuck though is Guardian. Terrible name, doesn't suit me at all but people just won't listen."

Paul froze on the spot. The man in front of him was the vigilante that had he had been warned about. This man was dangerous and Paul needed to tread carefully. Once he had composed himself he began carefully. "So your this "Guardian" that I've been hearing about. Your quite famous or infamous in Hoenn. What brings you to Sinnoh?"

"He he." Guardian chuckled. "I'm honored to know the Sinnoh Champ has heard of me. As for why I'm here, I just came to see two old friends of mine and then I will be on my way. So you can rest easy Paul. I won't be making a ruckus in your peaceful region."

"I see. Well I appreciate your courtesy in telling me this, so let me extend my courtesy by helping you find your friends. As Sinnoh Champ, I can locate most any trainer in the region fairly quickly; all I need are their names."

"Oh I know where they are." Guardian stated. "However I'll give you their names anyway. They are Lily Waterflower and Paul Ikari."

For the second time tonight, Paul froze. This dangerous vigilante, a well known killer of criminals, thought he was friends with Lily and himself. Who was this man really? Paul needed more answers. "I'm sorry but I think I speak for Lily and myself in saying that we don't know you and therefore aren't your friends. Neither of us would be friends with someone who kills people even if they are criminals."

"Ha ha ha!" the man laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry did I say something funny?"

"Ironic." Guardian said. "That you wouldn't be friends with a criminal."

"Why is that ironic? Am I missing something?" Paul asked getting slightly agitated with this man.

"Apparently you are." Guardian spoke softly with some sadness in his voice. "Five years ago, you called a criminal your friend. Maybe you have forgotten but he never forgot because you calling him that had meant a lot to him and it still does."

"What did you just say?" Paul said not cause he didn't hear what was said but that he couldn't believe what was said."Cause if you said what I think you did, then that would make you..."

"Its me Paul." Guardian stated. "No ghost, no imposter, just the genuine article."

"Ash? Is it really you?" Paul spoke with hope in his voice.

"Don't use that name! Yes it's me but Ash doesn't exist anymore."

"How did you survive? Where have you been? How are you?" Paul listed off questions without giving time for Ash to answer.

"None of that matters." Guardian said while waving his hands in indifference. "I'm here now and that's all that matters."

A million thoughts were rushing through Paul's head right now. I can't believe he is back. Lily will want to know about this. What's he going to do now? What am I going to do now? The League wants him captured but should I? I don't agree with his methods but he is getting results. No I need to follow orders and do my job!

"Ash err Guardian it's great to see you after this time, it really is." Paul said easing into it. "There is so much that we have to catch up on but all that's going to have to wait I'm afraid. I'm going to have to take you into custody. Your actions in Hoenn have caused the League to demand your immediate capture. I'm very sorry."

Guardian looked down and shook his head. "Yeah I'm sorry too Paul. Sorry that I won't be going willingly. I've spent enough time in hell for things that I didn't do. You maybe my friend Paul, but you best stay the hell out of my way." Guardian turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"I can't let you leave." Paul said grabbing a pokeball from his belt.

"And what makes you think you can stop me?" Guardian said turning his head to look at Paul coldly.

"I am the Sinnoh League Champion, strongest trainer in the region. You don't have your Pokémon; they were taken from you five years ago. I will stop you by force if necessary but I'd rather we do this peacefully."

"I agree on all counts Paul." Guardian continued. "You are the Champion, and yes my Pokémon were taken from me five years ago. But I've been in the wild for five years and many things have changed." Raising his jacket, Guardian revealed twelve pokeballs on his belt. "Me and my new Pokémon will take you champ."

"Fine we do this the hard way, Aggron standby for battle!" Paul yelled while throwing the pokeball.

Paul's Aggron let out a fierce roar when it was released but it didn't faze Guardian.

"Very nice Paul. It looks well taken care of and quite strong. Now let me show you mine. Go Aggron!"

When the light from the pokeball died down, an Aggron twice the size of Paul's with scars all over its armor plating appeared. It roared at its opponent with a roar so ferocious that it shook the stadium. Both Paul and his Aggron shook slightly with fear.

"Size isn't everything you know." Paul said as calmly as he could.

"No its not. Enough talk, let's get this over with."

"Aggron attack!" "Aggron attack!"


	5. Reunion Part 2

Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates.**

** Read, enjoy and review. Thank you.**

The room looked like a clothing and shoe store collided with each other and exploded. There were duffel bags scattered around the room with clothes spilling out of them like someone had dug through it and then just stopped. The shoes were everywhere, on the bed, on the floor, there was even one on the TV and they were all different styles and sizes. It was utter chaos that the owner of the room hoped would go away when her guests did.

Speaking of the owner of the room, Lily was waiting patiently by the door for her friends to get out of the bathroom. After her battle, all of the girls decided that they should go and celebrate while the guys hung out with Max to console him after his loss. They decided to use Lily's room to change and do makeup in because it was bigger than the rooms in the Pokémon center. Lily didn't mind too much, it was nice to have company every once in a while even if they made a mess. The thing that was bothering Lily was how long they were taking to get ready, having done Water shows for years and knew how to do her makeup and get dressed quickly so as not to slow down the show.

So Lily being the first one ready in her white knee length dress, minimal makeup and white heels. Her hair was loose and flowed to her shoulders in a cascade of pink. She was beautiful to behold and had many "fans" who asked for dates almost daily but she would always turn them down. She had someone better in mind but who it was she had kept to herself. While she stood at the door thinking or her prince, the other girls came out of the bathroom finally done and ready to go.

The first to come out was Sabrina, the Gym leader of Saffron City. She was wearing a modest purple dress that went to her calves and short heeled shoes. Her hair was its usual straight as a board style but was shorter, only going to her shoulders. Her makeup was minimal with just some eyeliner but with the hard look she always has on her face you could hardly see it.

The next two to come out of the bathroom was May in a red strapless dress and Dawn in a blue strapless dress. They had put their hair up in their usual styles but without the bandanna and hat.

Finally the last two made their way slowly out of the bathroom, still zipping their dresses up. Misty was wearing a sea green strapless dress that went to her ankles and black flat shoes. Her fiery red hair was hanging loose to her shoulders in soft wavy locks. Next to her was Roxanne the Gym leader of Rustboro City. She was wearing a modest bronze colored dress with black flats like Misty. Her brown hair was loose and flowed down to the middle of her back.

Lily looked around at each of the girls and had to smile a little. These were her friends and she wouldn't trade them for the world but five years ago she never would have thought that. In fact she had hated most of them back then but when certain events came to light, a slow friendship began to form. Now they got together whenever their busy schedules would allow it.

"Are you all finally ready to go?" Lily asked patiently, like a mother getting her kids ready for school.

"Yes mom, we are ready. Let's go." Misty said sarcastically.

"Ok, ok just checking." Lily said while opening the door. Just as everyone was walking out the door there was an explosion from outside.

"What the heck was that?" Dawn asked quizzically while looking around at the other girls for answers. They all just shrugged in response, not knowing what it was either.

"It sounded like it came from the stadium but that should be empty by now." Lily spoke while walking to the window that faced the stadium to draw back the curtains. As she opened them, all the girls could see the stadium lights still on and a stray Hyper Beam streaking through the sky.

"What is going on down there? There shouldn't be a battle going on. Come on, we need to find out." Lily said with authority, while grabbing her pokeball belt and heading back to the door.

The other girls nodded in agreement and grabbed their belts and headed out toward the stadium as fast as they could.

* * *

><p>Paul couldn't believe what had just happened right in front of him. He, the Champion of Sinnoh, had been defeated, no utterly destroyed. Someone who held no title, had never won a league and wasn't even supposed to have Pokémon had beaten hi like he was a novice. The battle had been lost before it even began; Guardian's monstrous Aggron had taken out three of Paul's Pokémon before finally going down. Then his Tyranitar had come out and tore apart two more of Paul's Pokémon before fainting. Now Paul was staring down Guardian's Steelix, who had tossed Paul's Weavile aside like it was a rag doll.<p>

"Have you had enough Paul?" Guardian said with a smirk as he crossed his arms. "Cause I can keep going if you want more."

"No, I'm done." Paul said sadly. "Ash, you may have defeated me but you need to come with me. If you leave they will just keep hunting you. You will be a fugitive on the run."

"Don't call me that name damn it!" Guardian spat angrily while returning his Steelix. "It's not my name anymore and as for being on the run, that's fine with me. It's not like I have a home and family to go back to, remember."

"What about your friends? We want you around. All of us do, even the ones who said differently five years ago." Paul said seriously, buying time to figure out a plan.

"What did you say?" Guardian said darkly, as dark aura began to swirl around him.

"Your friends didn't betray you, Ash. They were threatened by the League and Team Rocket into saying those things." Paul stated sadly. "Team Rocket needed you gone; you had interfered with their plans too many times. So, they leaned on the League, who in turn threatened your friends into saying those things."

"That can't be true! They betrayed me Paul and you know it! You were there, you saw the interviews! They hate me and I hate them, end of story!" Guardian yelled angrily while the black flames of aura burned more intensely.

Paul could see the black flames surrounding Guardian but wasn't sure what they were. Whatever those flames were they seemed to exude a dark, powerful energy that scared Paul. Trying to remain calm, Paul continued. "I know I was there and yes I saw the interviews but I also saw what happened after you left."

"And what was that." Guardian spat through gritted teeth.

They all were sad. Like you had died or something, which back then wasn't far from the truth. Any time I would ask what was wrong; they would just say nothing and change the subject. I thought that was odd, so I did some snooping and found the money trail from Team Rocket to Mr. Goodshow. Granted at the time I didn't know what it was for until Lily got that stubborn sister of hers to talk."

Guardian was just standing there taking in every word that Paul was saying. His face was expressionless but the flames hadn't gone down.

"Goodshow threatened to close the gym, that's why she betrayed you." Paul continued still buying time. "I know you remember how much that gym means to her. The rest of your friends faced similar situations with something precious to them being threatened."

"So what! They had a choice to make and they made it. There is no going back and changing the past, no matter how much you want to. So what would you have me do Paul? Hmm, forgive them?"

"Yes." Paul stated bluntly. "But not for me, not for them, not even for yourself. Do it for your mother. She would want you to forgive them Ash."

"Paul, tread carefully. I mean it." Guardian said in a deadly tone of voice.

"Ash is your name, not Guardian. Your mother would want you to be the Ash she raised. The kind, caring individual who loved his friends and cared for everyone. Not this "Guardian" person that you are pretending to be. This isn't you Ash." Paul said in a commanding tone.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Paul's words sank in. "Are you done?" Guardian said in a calmer voice than before.

"Yes I am."

"Good, now let me say something to you." Guardian spoke softly. "I want to thank you for all that you have said and done tonight. Only a true friend would be that honest and you were right. My name is Ash, always was and always will be. However, the old Ash died with his family in that fire and the new Ash was born. I was born through destruction and loss and can't go back to the way that I was. There was a positive that came out of it, it made me stronger. Now I'm going to help you get stronger by showing you the pain of losing something, by destroying your precious stadium. Maybe then you will start to understand the mistake you made by trying to take me in tonight."

"What !? No you can't!" Paul yelled in panic.

"Yes I can. Now watch me." Ash stated as a black aura sphere formed in his hand. He then fired it at one of the stadium lights, destroying it on impact. With a cold smirk, he began firing them in all directions, taking large chunks out with each blast.

"Stop! Don't do this Ash! Please!" Paul yelled over the explosions and sound of falling debris.

"Sorry Paul but you said the League did this to me, so I'm just paying them back. Since you are also part of the League now, you should also be punished." Ash said as he charged an aura sphere and aimed it at Paul. "Fear is a choice, Paul. Do you choose to fear me?"

Paul gulped deeply "Yes I do. But I'll ask you one last time, as your friend. Please don't do this."

Ash shook his head "Sorry Paul this is goodbye my friend." Then he fired the aura sphere.

Paul could only watch as the ball of destruction came towards him. "So this is how it ends." Paul whispered to himself as he lowered his head, accepting the inevitable.

When the aura sphere was only a few feet away, Paul heard some familiar voices cry out.

"Starmie, Light Screen!"

"Alakazam, Light Screen!"

"Dewgong, Protect!"

The aura sphere hit the light screens and slowed down, then bounced off the protect leaving Paul unharmed.

Both Ash and Paul turned toward where the voices came from to see the girls and their Pokémon standing there ready to attack.

"Paul are you ok?" Dawn yelled as her and the other girls ran up to him while returning their Pokémon. Dawn and the others began checking him over for injuries but Sabrina was staring intently at the figure with black flames swirling around him. After a minute or so of looking this curious individual over, she spoke softly "Paul, who is that man that attacked you?"

Paul lightly shook off the other girls who were still checking him over and walked up next to Sabrina. "He is a vigilante from Hoenn who kills criminals. He's called Guardian but his real identity is someone you may remember. Someone who disappeared five years ago but by some twist of fate came back, your friend Ash Ketchum.

There was a moment of shock that went through the group like a cold wind. No one knew what to say to Paul's statement. What do you say when someone you care about that was sent away to die, suddenly comes back and attacks one of your friends?

After a minute or two, the first to get over her shock was Sabrina. Being less emotional than the others, she recovered faster. "I find that hard to believe but I'll check to see for sure." Then her eyes glowed blue as she unleashed her psychic powers to look into the man's mind but was stopped by a dark voice in her head.

"Stay out of my head, witch."

Sabrina was shocked out of her focus and nearly fell down. "I don't know who he is but he is strong with aura. That's all I got before he pushed me out."

"Wait how could he push you out?" Misty asked quizzically.

"Aura can combat psychic powers and just like any clash of powers, the stronger one can block the weaker one." Sabrina explained slightly shaken by the experience.

Suddenly from the back of the group, a quiet voice spoke up. "Paul, is that really him? Is it really Ash?" Tears had formed in her eyes as she was asking the questions that she and the other girls desperately wanted to know the answer to.

Paul looked at Lily with a sympathetic expression. Paul knew of Lily's feelings for Ash but the way Ash was now, Paul wasn't sure if her going near him was a good idea. "Yeah it's him. But Lily he isn't the same as he was. He's dangerous; he tried to kill me and destroyed the stadium. You need to stay away from him."

"I just want to talk to him. That's all, ok?" Lily said while stepping forward while silent tears flowed down her face.

Paul at Lily and then turned to look at Ash. The flames had died down considerably and were barely visible at all. When Paul looked at Ash's face he was surprised by what he saw. He no longer had the cold, blank expression he had a few minutes ago but one of surprise. His eyes were focused on one thing and as Paul followed Ash's eye line he realized he was staring at Lily. Not that he could blame him, Lily was a beautiful young women and had showed Ash kindness at a time when he was most vulnerable. Maybe she could calm him down.

"Ok Lily but be careful aright." Paul spoke with a caring voice.

"I will." Lily answered and started walking slowly but steadily toward Ash.


	6. The Light and the Dark

Chapter 6

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates. **

** A/N: I'm glad that you are all enjoying this story and have been reviewing. I appreciate hearing what you think and getting your input on how the story is going. Speaking of where it is going, this chapter has some plot twists that some people may not like but I hope that you can keep an open mind. It may seem strange but I promise that the story won't go way out in left field on the weirdness. The idea for this twist came from Fujin of Shadows story Secrets which I recommend to anyone.**

The silence was hanging in the stadium like a dense fog that the sun couldn't penetrate. It was like Arceus had hit the mute button on the world for a moment of peace. The storm clouds in the sky didn't make a sound even when lightening streaked across the sky, the wind blew through the stadium, and one lone person was slowly making her way across the stadium. Her destination was a man who was standing in the middle of the stadium looking her way.

Ash was at a loss about what to do. Part of him was excited like a kid on Christmas while another part of him wanted to run away and hide. On top of the seesaw of emotions he was feeling, there was many questions buzzing through his head. Why is she coming toward me? Is she going to try and take me in like Paul? What am I going to say to her?

Even while he was thinking and feeling all of this, Ash never moved from his spot and his eyes never left Lily. He was watching her and trying to answer his questions by reading her body language but mostly he was just getting a good look at her for the first time in five years. The way her eyes sparkled, how pale and creamy looking her skin looked, how her beautiful pink hair cascaded onto her shoulders. He had thought about her a lot in the years he was gone but nothing beats the genuine article.

As he was soaking in every detail of her, it was when he got a good look at her face that told him all he needed to know. Her eyes were red and puffy, probably from the tears streaming down her face but the real clincher was her mouth. The closer she got to him, the better she could see him, the bigger the smile on her face got. She was happy to see him.

"Ok, that's a good sign. Hopefully this goes better than it did with Paul." Ash thought to himself.

When she was only a few steps from Ash she stopped and looked at him with a big smile on her face. After a few minutes of staring at each other in silence, she finally said something.

"Its you isn't it? I know it is, you may have gotten taller but I would know that face anywhere." Lily said with the excitement growing with every word.

"Yeah Lily, it's me." Ash answered calmly, still unsure what to say to her.

Suddenly, in a quick leap, Lily threw herself at Ash catching him in a tight hug. In a low tear filled whisper Lily spoke. "Oh Ash, I missed you so much." She then started crying into his shirt, never letting up her tight hug.

Ash wasn't sure what to do, he had never really had to deal with crying women in the wild, aside from Yellow but Red had handled that. Even before he was exiled, he never had to deal with this. Finally he did what he had seen others do to comfort people. He wrapped his arms around Lily, holding her comfortingly and said in a soothing voice. "It's ok, I'm here now."

* * *

><p>While Ash and Lily were comforting each other, the others were a hurricane of questions. Unfortunately for Paul, he was the one they were directed at.<p>

"Paul! I want answers now!" Misty demanded angrily. 'How do you know that's Ash and if it is, why is my sister hugging him?"

"Yeah, what's the deal Paul?" Dawn asked sternly. "They weren't really friends before he left but now they seem close. Really close."

"Tell us Paul. Now!" May yelled with her face turning red.

"Ok ok just calm down will you." Paul stated holding up his hands and backing away slowly. "That is Ash, trust me it is. If we were closer to him, you could tell from his face."

"Wait wait." Roxanne interrupted. "I was saved by Guardian and was right next to him. I even saw his face and I didn't recognize him, granted it was dark out."

"You were?' Dawn asked quickly. "You never said anything about that. What happened?"

"I was attacked by four guys and he saved me. I was helpless; I couldn't do anything to protect myself. It was embarrassing so I didn't want to talk about it." Roxanne explained, suddenly finding her feet very interesting.

"But we are your friends, you can..."

"Enough! Leave her alone." Paul exclaimed interrupting Dawn. "If you want your damn questions answered, then please shut up!"

"Ok." Dawn said quietly, clearly rattled by Paul yelling.

"Ok, I'm sorry for yelling." Paul said genuinely. "But you have to trust me, that is Ash. He knew things that only Ash would know. And to answer your question Misty, the reason she is hugging him is she missed him, ok. If you want to know why, you'll have to ask her. It's her business, not mine."

"Fine, I will. But what do we do now?" Misty asked slightly irritated at the lack of real answers.

"Well do any of you have your cell phone on you?" Paul asked. Receiving nods all around, Paul smirked. "Figures. Anyway, one of you call Cynthia and have her bring as many officers as she can and the Arcanine Unit, quickly."

"Paul you know they won't make a difference." Sabrina spoke knowingly. "I can tell how strong he is and those officers wouldn't last five minutes against him and you know it."

"What choice do I have?!" Paul asked angrily. "I'm under orders to take him in and he destroyed the stadium and tried to kill me. He is a criminal now, so we must treat him like one. Lily will keep him calm till the officers arrive."

"Fine swallow your orders Paul." Sabrina said coldly. "But remember that he is your friend. When this is all over and what I've told you happens, let's see if he still calls you friend. Now let's see if I'm right."

Sabrina turned to look toward Ash and Lily, while the others were in awe at what Sabrina had said. They had never heard her talk to Paul like that. The two usually showed a mutual respect to each other but Sabrina had almost been talking down to Paul. After they came to terms with that they turned toward Ash and Lily too.

* * *

><p>Ash was enjoying himself more than he had in a long time. Granted it probably had something to do with the beautiful young women in his arms with her head on his shoulder. When Lily had hugged him, he had been nervous about being so close to her and what to do to comfort her. But as time went by, he became more at ease with her. What had started as rocking back and forth to comfort her had evolved into a slow dance of sorts, both moving together in a small circle held close to each other. Ash would have gone on like this all night but Lily had too many questions on her mind to allow the blissful silence to continue.<p>

"Ash." Lily said softly, lifting her head from his shoulder.

"Yes Lily?" Ash answered, looking at her with a small smile.

When Lily saw the smile Ash gave her, she gained some pink in her cheeks but continued talking. "What are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here it's just a surprise that's all."

Ash was surprised by the question. "I came to see you and Paul of course. Can't an old friend come for a friendly visit?"

"Of course but what you did to the stadium and tried to do to Paul didn't seem very friendly." Lily said gaining a more serious attitude.

Ash let go of Lily and took a few slow steps back while looking down, not saying anything.

Slightly saddened by the lack of contact, Lily continued anyway. "Ash what happened? You can tell me."

Ash was torn about what to do. If he told her why he was destroying the stadium and trying to kill Paul, she might not want to talk to him anymore. But if he didn't tell her she might not trust him and not want to talk to him. It was a lose-lose situation and for some reason losing Lily wasn't something he could live with. She was his last friend, all he really had left from his old life but there was something else about her that he couldn't figure out. It was like an invisible pull toward her, even when he wasn't around her it was there, drawing him to her but he didn't know what it was. Apparently he was taking too long to say something because Lily started talking again with a hurt tone in her voice.

"Fine, don't tell me. I see how it is. See you around Ash." Then she turned angrily toward the others and walked away.

Ash looked up with hurt filled eyes and watched as Lily walked away. He was an idiot, he should have told her. At least then she would have known the truth. It seemed that he was incapable of keeping friend. First all his friends betray him, then Paul tries to arrest him, and now he pushes Lily away. What kind of horrible person must he be to drive these people away from him? Loud screams broke Ash out of his self pity.

"Lily look out!"

Ash looked up to see one of the stadium lights falling toward the field, right where Lily was walking. As fast as a person could blink, Ash had charged his aura and was running toward Lily. But even with his speed, Ash was afraid he wouldn't make it. "NO! I will make it! I have to save her!" Ash thought but as the light got closer he had to scream. "Lily!" Then the light crashed down with a huge cloud of smoke and dust. With Paul and the girls there was panic, screaming and crying.

"Oh my Arceus no." May said with tears forming in her eyes.

Misty had fallen to her knees, crying while muttering Lily's name.

The others were in similar states of tears and sadness but tried their best to comfort Misty. Unlike the others, Paul and Sabrina hadn't lost their composure but had serious expressions on their faces. Both of them were scanning the rubble for signs of movement.

"Can you sense them?" Paul asked in a business like tone, trying to keep his composure.

"I told you he was strong but he is also fast apparently. They are right there." Sabrina said pointing to the left of the group. When she said that everyone turned to look where she pointed and were in awe at what they saw.

In the spot where Sabrina had pointed, there stood what looked like an angel. There was a white flame burning all around him, giving him an otherworldly glow but the thing that caught everyone's attention was the pair of wings coming from his back. They were white as snow and had the same glow as the rest of his body. He had his wings wrapped around himself protecting the person he was holding in his arms but they were slowly opening to reveal the two people inside.

Ash had never felt like this before, he felt powerful but also at ease, almost happy. The fact that the unconscious girl in his arms was alive was mostly responsible for that. "I did it. I actually saved her but if this power hadn't appeared, I might not have. I'll have to figure out where it and these wings came from later." Ash thought as the white glow was dying down and the wings were disappearing.

"Lily! Oh my Arceus, is she ok?" Misty yelled as she ran up to Ash to see her sister. The other girls followed to make sure Lily was ok but also to get a better look at Ash. He had looked like an Adonis to them when he had that white glow and that only diminished a little when it went away. Most of them had pink in their cheeks and couldn't look at him directly.

While everyone was fawning over Ash and Lily being alive, Paul was collecting his thoughts about the events that just happened. "He is full of surprises, isn't he. Powerful Pokémon that he shouldn't have, those blast attacks that he tried to kill me with and now wings. He must be destined for greatness to have all this power in his grasp. But for great evil or for the greater good? Maybe the answer is in finding out what that power is. Maybe Cynthia will have some answers about what it could be."

"Ok, hands where we can see them!"

Ash and everyone turned to see five officers holding handguns and an Arcanine on either side of each officer. Everyone else put their hands up but Ash had his hands full with Lily.

"Did you call them Paul?" Ash spoke coldly, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

"Yes, I did." Paul said eyeing Ash warily.

Ash carefully laid Lily down, then took off his jacket and rolled it up and put it under her head. He then stood back up slowly while shaking his head in disgust. "Your job really means everything to you doesn't it, Paul. I came here to see you because I missed you and Lily but instead of just visiting and talking about the good old times, you had to do what the League wanted you to do. Look what that caused." Ash said with an irritated tone as he used his arms to show the destruction of the stadium.

'I don't know what to say Ash. I was following orders." Paul said sternly, his eyes never leaving Ash.

"Raise your hands now or we will use force!" The head officer yelled commandingly.

"Grr! Then do it!" Ash yelled as the black flames began swirling around him.

"No Ash don't do this. Please." Misty said pleadingly.

"Please stop! No more." May, Dawn and Roxanne said together.

"Ash. Don't kill them; Lily wouldn't want you to do that." Sabrina said knowingly.

"Are you done?" Ash said darkly. The girls nodded slowly shrinking back from Ash. Ash continued. "Good now I'll say something. I still hate you all, you may have had your reasons for betraying me but you still chose to do it. So you live with the choices you have made and I'll live with the choices I'm about to make. I will give you a piece of advice, the same that I gave Paul earlier. Stay the hell out of my way." Ash then started walking forward toward the officers, leaving a group of stunned and upset girls and a disgruntled Paul behind him.

"You have three seconds to comply before we release the Arcanine!"

Ash smirked to himself as he stared at the police officers in front of him. "More people just swallowing orders. Pitiful." Ash thought as rain began falling, making the Arcanine cower a little from getting wet. Then in a flash of black, Ash was next to the front officer.

"Three seconds is up." Ash said and then grabbed the officer's head and twisted. "SNAP!"

Ash's sudden appearance spooked the two Arcanine that were next to the officer, giving Ash the chance to release three of his own Pokémon.

"Houndoom, Mightyena, Luxray kill!" Ash yelled darkly.

All three growled in understanding and then began using their teeth and claws to attack the Arcanine. As the Arcanine began to fall to the vicious and deadly assault, Ash got to work on the other officers.

Using his speed, Ash disarmed the closest officer quite literally by pulling the man's arms behind his back and putting his foot in the middle of the man's back and pulled till there was a pop. Letting the disarmed men fall to the ground in pain, Ash looked to the other three officers who had their guns pointed at him but their hands were shaking slightly in fear.

Ash smirked. "This will be quick."

Flaring the black flames up even more around him, he clenched his fist and raised his arm straight out. Then in a flash of black he caught each man in the neck with his arm, effectively breaking each ones neck as he runs past them.

Looking to his Pokémon, Ash noticed that they were finishing up too. Nine of the ten Arcanine were lying in pools of blood, either dead or dying from injuries. The last one was in trouble with Houndoom clamped on its throat, cutting off its air.

'Finish it." Ash ordered coldly, as he returned a blood covered Luxray and an equally bloody but also limping Mightyena.

"Crunch! Snap!" Then the Arcanine went limp.

"Good job, return." Ash then turned and walked to the man with the broken arms. "Now to finish you."

Just as Ash was about to grab the man's throat, his body froze. He looked at his arm and noticed it was covered in a blue glow. "What the hell is going on?"

"Leave him alive, no more killing Ash." Sabrina said with her eyes glowing blue.

"Ah, so you are trying to stop me from killing this man, why?" Ash asked with slight curiosity.

"Because it's the right thing to do. However, I will give you some incentive to leave him alive."

"And what incentive could you offer me?"

"I'll go with you so that you get the information you want. I'm guessing that although your powers are formidable, you don't have the ability to read minds. I will offer my services in exchange for his life, deal?" Sabrina panted struggling to hold Ash.

"Sabrina, don't. You have seen what he's capable of. He won't hesitate to kill you." Paul said worriedly.

"I know but if I can save a life, it's worth it." Sabrina said as confidently as she could.

"Very noble of you Sabrina. Fine I could use your particular talents but let's get going before reinforcements come." Ash said as he released Skarmory from its pokeball, after finally breaking Sabrina's hold.

"I'm coming." Sabrina said softly, breathing heavily from holding Ash for that long.

"Paul can you hear me?" a voice in Paul's head spoke.

"Sabrina? What do you want?" Paul thought.

"Listen I don't have much time. Holding Ash tired me out and I can't do this long. When we leave, take Lily to Nurse Joy for treatment and get an ambulance here for the officers and Arcanine. Then find Cynthia and figure out any info on this aura power Ash has. We need to stop him."

"Are you going to be ok with him? You don't even know where he's going!" Paul thought franticly.

"He's going to Goodshow. I caught some stray thoughts as I was holding him. Warn Lance and Goodshow to be on guard."

"Let's go! I want to get going." Ash demanded as the rain started to fall harder.

Sabrina looked at Paul who nodded and climbed on behind Ash as Skarmory took off into the sky.


	7. Vengeance and the future

**Chapter 7**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its affiliates. Please read and review.**

** A/N: The last chapter received one review and that got me a little worried. I understand if some people don't like certain aspects of the story and I'm sorry about that. If you want to make comments or suggestions about the story and where it is going, send me a review or a PM. Thank you.**

The office was dark except for the small desk lamp that gave a dim yellow glow in the large room. The desk the lamp was on was mostly empty except for a few knick knacks, a messy stack of papers and a gold name plate with the name of the desk's owner in neat, orderly letters ,Charles Goodshow and that just so happen to be who was sitting behind the desk. The aged man was sitting comfortably in his big office chair with his arms crossed, waiting patiently for something or someone to show up.

"How can you be so calm?" The other occupant of the room asked, never halting his anxious pacing back and forth.

"Lance, when you get to be my age you learn that some things are inevitable. Worrying about it won't stop it, so relax." Goodshow said evenly while looking at the Champion of Johto.

"But you heard what Paul said, he knows what was done to him and he's coming for you. He killed four officers and severely injured another, and they hadn't even done anything. What do you think he will do to you?" Lance finished panting slightly from the speech.

"I know what Paul said and it doesn't matter, what really matters now is what are you doing here? He wants me, not you." Goodshow asked, already knowing the younger man's answer.

"To protect you sir. You are the head of the Pokémon League; we can't afford to lose you. You run Leagues in five regions and the newly inducted Unova region; no one could fill your shoes." Lance answered in a business like tone.

Goodshow chuckled slightly. "Nothing can protect me from this, Lance. Ash Ketchum was many things but the most prominent two were stubborn and determined. When he sets his mind to something, he won't stop till he accomplished it. No, my fate was sealed five years ago."

"Yes sir, if you say so but I'm not going anywhere." Lance stated leaving no room for argument.

"As you wish." Goodshow answered with a sigh. After years of dealing with Lance he had learned that trying to get him to do something that would hurt his pride was near impossible. Lance, like his dragons was very prideful and leaving an old man alone for a killer to come was cowardly in Lance's mind.

Knock, knock.

Both men looked up at the door and then at each other. Lance was first to speak. "Come in."

The door opened slowly, revealing two people who were soaked from the rain outside but Lance and Charles recognized both of them. As the two people walked through the door, the back one closed the door behind her while the young man in front walked purposefully toward Goodshow's desk, never taking his focus off of Goodshow. As the man got to the desk with his companion stood a few feet behind him, Goodshow began to speak.

"Hello Ash, hello Sabrina. Nice to see you both again. Can I offer you both a drink?"

"That won't be necessary Charles. I have a few questions and then I must be going." Ash answered flatly. He had his arms at his sides and his fists clenched; it appeared like he was restraining himself.

Goodshow noticed Ash's clenched fists but continued on anyway. "Ah I see. Well what questions do you need answered?"

Lance was stiffly watching the conversation between the two in shock. "How can Charles be so calm talking to him like this? Ash looks ready to lash out at any second." Lance thought worriedly.

"Did you or the League have anything to do with the Goldenrod bombing?" Ash said coldly still staring at Goodshow with hate filled eyes.

"No, we had no involvement. That was all Team Rocket's doing." Goodshow said simply, not fazed by the question.

Never breaking his gaze from Goodshow, Ash spoke. "Sabrina?"

"It's the truth, I checked." Sabrina answered with glowing blue eyes.

"Ah, yes. I wondered why you were here Sabrina. Wanted the whole truth didn't you Ash? Understandable considering how you were treated. However, reading my mind won't be necessary. I have nothing to hide, next question?" Goodshow stated nonchalantly, like this was a simple tea time talk.

"Were you the one who accused me of the crime?"

"Yes. The Rockets applied pressure on the League and myself and we buckled. They also promised less criminal activity for six months in exchange for you to take the fall."

"And you took the deal." Ash stated more than asked.

"Yes but look at it from the big picture." Goodshow said while entwining his hands on the desk. "Six months of peace. That's huge. We have never had that in all the years that I've been the head of the League. I admit tossing you aside like that wasn't a decision we came to lightly but the gain far outweighed the loss."

"So my life was worthless to you. I see." Ash said with his head down.

"We also had to pressure your friends to betray you. The Rockets wanted you to suffer, that was why you had the TV in your cell. They wanted you to see everyone turn on you."

"And you sat back and let it happen!" Ash yelled. "I was sixteen god damn it!"

"I know. I'm sorry Ash, I really am." Goodshow sighed. "Now are you going to do what you came here to do?"

Both Lance and Sabrina tensed up at the words. The end was coming and they wanted to be ready for it.

"Yes but one more question. If you could do it again, would you change anything you did?" Ash asked darkly, almost daring Goodshow to answer.

Mr. Goodshow leaned back in his chair and pondered the question for a second or two before answering. "No, I did what was best for the regions. I have no regrets."

Ash said nothing but as quick as you could blink, Ash had grabbed Goodshow and thrown him out the window of the office, which was on the twentieth floor.

"No! Charles!" Lance yelled as he ran to the window but it was too late. Charles laid face down on the sidewalk below, unmoving. Lance then turned to Ash, who was by the desk looking at Lance coldly. "Why did you have to do that?! He didn't deserve that!" Lance yelled, deeply upset with the situation.

"Did I deserve what happened to me? I was merely paying back the man who wronged me. If what I did was wrong, she would have stopped me." Ash said while pointing toward Sabrina while his gaze never left Lance.

"It's true but after hearing what Goodshow said, I agree with Ash. It was a bit harsh but Goodshow deserved to be punished." Sabrina said while looking between Lance and Ash, who continued their stare down.

After a minute or so Ash spoke while gesturing to the broken window. "I think you have work to do Lance."

"Yes I do." Lance sternly answered. "My suggestion to you is to leave the Five Regions. I don't want to see you again but if I do, I will show no mercy."

"Quite the change from the last time we talked Lance. Fine." Ash answered curtly as Lance left the office to attend to Goodshow's body.

As Lance shut the door behind himself, leaving Ash and Sabrina alone in the office. Ash sat down in the chair behind the desk with his head in his hands.

"So what will you do now?" Sabrina asked trying to break the silence.

"I don't know honestly." Ash sighed. "This has been my whole life for the last five years and now it's over. I guess I need to get out of the Five Regions first, after that who knows."

"What about Lily?" Sabrina asked. "Won't you want to see her before you go? I know she would like to thank you for saving her."

"No." Ash bluntly stated. "She needs good people around her, not someone like me."

"So Paul, myself and the other girls are good people? I thought you hated all of us?" Sabrina asked slightly surprised.

"I do still hate you all but you all care about her a lot. I could tell that when I saved her from the falling light. So I'm going to trust you guys to look after her." Ash stated seriously.

"We will, I promise you that." Sabrina said genuinely. She paused for a moment, unsure about asking her next question. Finally she asked anyway. "Will we see you again?"

"No, it's best if she and the rest of you just forget about me. However I would like to thank you for your help with Goodshow and for stopping me earlier. Not many people would be brave enough to stand up to me when I'm like that. That took guts and also sorry about the witch comment." Ash said with a small smile.

Sabrina blushed slightly at the smile. She then began walking toward Ash slowly. "Don't worry about it. But I would like to thank you for Lily and the rest of us. Whether you want to believe it or not, we all care about you. Some of us more than others." Then she leaned down and kissed Ash on the cheek. "Goodbye Ash." She whispered and then walked out of the office.

Ash was stunned by what Sabrina had done. He never would have expected that from her, she was always very reserved with emotional things and that had been in vast contrast. After a moment, Ash decided it was time to go and got out of the chair but a piece of paper on the desk caught his eye. It was an application to join the League but it had a big "Denied" stamped across it. Ash grabbed the paper to get a better look at it.

"Kalos Region denied acceptance into Five Regions Pokémon League." ash read out loud. "Hmm well it is out of the Five Regions. Guess it will work."

* * *

><p>Paul was sitting behind his desk, waiting for more information to come in about the current tragedy. The death of Charles Goodshow two days before had shaken the Five Regions to its very core. All League facilities and gyms had been closed in mourning and the funeral was to be held at the Indigo Plateau at the end of a week long mourning period. Even though the facilities were closed, higher League officials still had to run the day to day affairs and there was the big problem of finding Goodshow's successor. Needless to say, Paul had a lot on his plate.<p>

"Damn it, when is Cynthia going to get back from her grandmothers to help with all this!" Paul said frustrated.

"Right about now actually."

Paul looked up to see Cynthia standing against the door frame looking his way. "Bout time! I wasn't sure if you were ever coming back. So tell me the info you were able to get so we can figure out a strategy." Paul commanded while clearing some space on his desk.

"Whoa easy there Paul. I just got back you know but I do have some information for you."

"Good let's hear it then." Paul said in a hurried tone of voice.

"Why the rush Paul? It's not like Ash is even around anymore, you heard Sabrina. He was leaving the Five Regions, never to return so why so anxious?" Cynthia asked curiously.

"Because we have a lot of work to get done for the League. That's all." Paul stated in a matter of fact tone.

Cynthia looked at Paul suspiciously for a second before continuing. "Ok, ok fine I'll tell you so we can get to work." Cynthia said as she sat in the leather chair in front of Paul's desk. "I told Grandma your description of the flames and the wings. She had to do some serious digging in her old files but she was able to come up with a few texts that talk about such things being done by Aura guardians."

"Sabrina mentioned he was using aura." Paul added as Cynthia continued.

"Yeah well here is where it gets interesting. The flames around him show that he is an experienced user but the color of them is the important part. White is supposed to be the light side represented by love and trust. Whereas black is the dark side represented by hate and destruction."

"But why was he going between the two?"

"Well, under normal circumstances he shouldn't have been able to. Most Aura users are a mix of the two, not being able to use one or the other individually only together. That's why their aura is a grey or bluish color because it's mixed of light and dark. However, stronger Aura Guardians can gain control of one or the other and by choosing just one, they become stronger."

"Ok I'm following but you haven't explained how he was going between the two?" Paul said impatiently.

"I'm getting there Paul. Patience please." Cynthia spoke seriously.

"Sorry go on." Paul said apologetically.

"The wings are the clue to this. There was mention of a rare occurrence that happens when the world is out of balance, it's called an Aura Prince and wings are the sign of the Prince."

"Aura Prince? What is that, some kind of royalty?" Paul asked with disbelief evident in his voice.

"Not exactly. They are the strongest Aura Guardian that will bring balance to this world but to balance it they can be both good and evil. That's why he had both white and black aura. By using black he has the power to destroy everything he touches. But if he uses the white he can revitalize nature and even breathe life back into animals and people." Cynthia spoke with total seriousness in her voice, conveying only the truth.

"Wow that's incredible." Paul stated while leaning back in his chair. "So he really could have killed all of us the other night. But did it say any way to stop him?"

"Only one but I haven't deciphered it yet. I'm still working on it at the moment but Grandma says that even with all his power he is still human, with emotions like the rest of us. So if he were at peace, there would be no threat." Cynthia said while watching Paul's reaction.

"True." Paul said while closing his eyes. "But no one is always at peace. I do wonder though what balance he is meant to fix, the regions have been peaceful for a while.'

"I don't know but let's hope it doesn't lead to some catastrophe. Hopefully the peace will last." Cynthia said hopefully.

"Yeah me too." Paul said just as hopefully turning to look at the bright sunshine and blue sky outside. Peace was here, but for how long?


	8. Confession and a New Team

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's affiliates.**

**A/N: Thank you all for the great reviews that you left, I really appreciate it. Some of you may have noticed that I added Lily to the character list for the story. Don't jump to conclusions, that doesn't mean that she will get together with Ash. The list will keep growing for the next two or three chapters but there is no set shipping... yet. Please keep sending me your ideas and opinions of the story, as my past reviewers will tell you I answer all reviews and try to give as much information as I can without giving away the plot. Anyway, please read and review.**

The day was as beautiful as anyone could ask for. The sky was a clear blue without a single cloud anywhere, the sun was bright and warm bringing with it a warm breeze. From the balcony of the Sinnoh Pokemon League, Lily could see and feel all of this despite the black jacket that she was wearing but she didn't seem to be enjoying any of it, which was evident by the frown on her face. She was busy looking down at all the happy people on the beach enjoying the wonderful day, that she didn't notice someone walk up next to her.

"Nice day, isn't it Lily?"

Jumping slightly at the unexpected voice, Lily turned her head to see Sabrina with a small smile on her face. "Uh, yeah it is I guess."

Sabrina watched with a sympathetic look as Lily turned back toward the beach with a sad look. "Your thinking about Ash again, aren't you?" Sabrina stated knowingly.

"Did you read my mind or am I really that obvious?" Lily asked, never breaking her gaze from the happy people on the beach.

"I don't read my friends thoughts, you know that. You have been acting down since you found out he left" Sabrina answered while putting her hand on Lily's shoulder. "I know you miss him, we all do but he's been gone for three months without a sign of him. Why are you still so down?"

Lily finally broke her gaze away from the beach below and looked at Sabrina. "If I tell you something, will you promise that it will stay between us? You can't even tell the other girls, especially my sister okay?"

"Of course. I promise." Sabrina said seriously.

"Okay good." Lily sighed. "I miss Ash because I have strong feelings for him."

"And by strong feelings you mean?" Sabrina questioned with a small grin.

"I mean more than just friends feelings." Lily stated while looking anywhere but at Sabrina.

While Lily was avoiding eye contact, Sabrina was smirking knowingly. She may not be the most emotional person but she was still a women and they have a sixth sense about this kind of thing. Ignoring her own feelings toward Ash, Sabrina decided to figure out how it had come to be. "How did you start feeling this way? You never traveled with him or spent a lot of time with him, so whats the story?"

"Well, when he came to get the Cascade badge he protected the gym from Team Rocket. He was so brave, defending people and a place that he barely knew. But that only got me interested in him." Lily said but was interrupted by Sabrina.

"That was years ago when he was ten. Was there more recent interactions between you two?"

"Sort of. A few years after he got the badge, Daisy, Violet, and myself went on tour and Misty had to stop traveling with Ash. Well when our tour ended, Misty stayed on as gym leader and occasionally she would get letters from Ash. When she was in a good mood she would read the letters out loud." Lily said with a bright smile. "The adventures, the people and pokemon he had seen, it was all so amazing. He helped so many people and even saved the world, all before he was seventeen. And the way he wrote to Misty was incredible."

"How do you mean?" Sabrina quizzed.

"He cared for her, always wrote about how much he missed her and couldn't wait to see her again. It made me so... envious. I wanted someone to care about me like that." Lily looked toward Sabrina slightly guiltily.

Sabrina gave a comforting smile and nodded for Lily to continue.

"Then when he was accused of that horrible crime, everyone turned on him and they were going to exile him, Paul and I went to see him."

"You did? Neither you or Paul said anything about that before. What happened?" Sabrina asked slightly surprised.

Lily turned away and looked out at the ocean. She was silent for a minute, choosing her words carefully. "I kissed him."

"You did?" Sabrina said more than asked, slightly jealous. "What kind of kiss? On the cheek?"

"No, on the lips." Lily whispered, barely loud enough for Sabrina to hear. Lily's whole face was turning red and she had begun biting her bottom lip. "But I knew that I shouldn't have done it and ran out of the room right after."

"Why? What was so wrong with kissing him? He never had a girl friend as far as I know, so whats the problem?"

"Misty. That was the problem." Lily spoke slightly depressed.

"Why, what did she do?" Sabrina asked while tilting her head to one side, thoroughly confused about what Lily was saying.

"She didn't do anything! That was part of the problem!" Lily exclaimed passionately. "She had feelings for him for years but she never made a move. But I'm her sister, who knew that she liked Ash, and I still made a move on him. I'm a horrible person for doing that to her."

Sabrina just shook her head in disbelief. Lily was more upset about betraying her sisters trust than missing Ash. She had put her family before a man that she liked a lot, and that was very mature of her. "Your not a horrible person, if you were you wouldn't be feeling so guilty about it. You love your sister, right?"

Lily nodded as small tears traced down her cheeks.

"And you like Ash a lot, right?"

Lily hesitated but then began to nod slowly.

"Well then the best thing to do is tell Misty how you feel about Ash. That way she will know how you feel and you two can sort it all out. Sabrina spoke knowingly, conveying advice that she hoped Lily would listen to. "Plus it would make things easier if Ash ever came back."

Lily nodded along with what Sabrina was saying, knowing that it made a lot of sense. "OK, I'll tell her but you have to come with me. Misty can be very violent about certain things and Ash is one of them. Please?" Lily pleaded looking Sabrina in the eyes.

"Fine, I could use some amusement." Sabrina shrugged as the two women went back inside to make a phone call to Misty to set up a lunch date.

* * *

><p>Lumiose City, the biggest and most famous city in all of Kalos. With it's quaint little shops, quiet cafe's, and being in the center of the Kalos region it was a tourists paradise. Someone could spend days wandering the small side streets and large plazas without seeing all there is to offer in the vast city. However large the city maybe, if you were ever to be lost all you would have to do would be to look at the skyline. In the very center of the city, stretching to the sky in all its pristine glory is the Prism Tower and as long as you can see it and get to it, you will never be lost.<p>

Though tourists may find all this interesting and photo worthy, one man in a cafe found it all to be dull and boring. Granted he had been here for almost three months but he never stayed very long, just in the evenings to have some coffee at his favorite cafe, Lysandre Cafe. He was sitting in the back of the cafe with his two baby pokemon sitting on the table sharing a danish as he sipped his coffee. Just as he finished the cup, a waitress walked up with a fresh one.

"Here's your coffee. Will that be all Mr. Ash?" The waitress asked courteously with a warm smile.

"Yes that's all thank you. But please its just Ash, not Mr. Ash OK?" Ash replied with a small smile.

"OK Ash." The waitress walked off to help the other customers but two other people were making their way toward Ash's table. One of them was a young women in her twenties wearing red pants with diamond cut outs down the legs, a black sleeveless shirt with an exaggerated collar and red shaded lenses. Her hair was a soft pink color and she carried herself with confidence and purpose as she walked. She had a soft smile on her face as she looked at Ash and his pokemon.

The other person was an older man who had an odd hairstyle resembling a lions mane but in red spikes with a beard to match. He wore a black suit with red trim and a gray fur collar on the jacket. He projected a presence that seemed to demand respect and project confidence. As they got closer to Ash's table, the man seemed to put himself in front indicating that he was the leader.

"Hello Ash. My name is Lysandre, owner of this establishment and this is my associate Malva. It is nice to finally meet one of our more frequent customers." he said deeply in a polite tone.

The deep tone of Lysandre's voice scared the two baby pokemon and they snuggled up to their dad for security. Ash seeing the babies react this way, smiled down at the two while caressing them both on the head to comfort them. Ignoring the two people standing at the table, Ash continued to comfort Pichu and Igglybuff till they had calmed down and then he returned them to their poke balls. Once he put the balls on his belt, he looked back up at Lysandre and Malva with a serious expression.

"Hello Lysandre and Malva. It is nice to meet you but I don't appreciate you scaring the young ones. What can I do for you?" Ash said slightly irritated with the situation.

"Sorry about that, it was never my intention. As for what I am here for, I would like to hire you." Lysandre spoke sincerely while Malva was still silently observing Ash.

"Hire me for what? I already have a job at the berry farm outside of town and that makes enough for me and my pokemon, so why do I need another?"

"Because working on the farm is a waste of you and your pokemon's talents." Lysandre said knowingly with a smirk.

"And what talents would those be? I'm just a wandering trainer with no badges, what talents could I have?" Ash lied, while leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.

"Talents that would allow you to beat the Champion of Sinnoh with only three pokemon, kill four officers and throw the President of the Pokemon League out of a window all in the same night. I need someone like you, someone who gets things done. No matter what." Lysandre said losing all humor in his voice.

Ash's eyes flashed open quickly upon hearing Lysandre's words and he let his chair down and stood up from it. Though Lysandre was taller, Ash looked him in the eye with a cold glare. "How do you know about that?" Ash coldly asked in a whisper.

"Cafe owner is only one of my titles. I am also the owner of Lysandre Labs which created the Holo Caster, the best communication device in the world. Using the Holo Caster and another of my enterprises, I know what is going on all around the world within minutes. And as they say, bad news travels fast and everyone saw what you did as a bad thing." Lysandre smirked, knowing he had gotten Ash's attention.

"If everyone thought it was a bad thing, why do you want to hire me?" Ash inquired coldly.

"Because Team Flare needs your help." Malva spoke up, drawing the attention of both men. Lysandre gave her a glare and she backed away and looked down like a child in trouble.

"Team Flare? You mean those weaklings in the red suits, you run that bunch of weirdos?" Ash said disbelievingly.

"Yes I do." Lysandre said with a sigh. "Those weaklings are the reason I need you. I want you to help train them so we can achieve our goals."

"And what would your goals be?" Ash asked, getting tired of all the run around and hoping Lysandre would get to the point.

"We want to make a world where there is enough for everyone, where no one pokemon or human, has to go hungry or be homeless." Lysandre said with a sparkle in his eye from thinking of his dream.

"Hmm well that's not what I was expecting. Most of the Teams that I have run across want to take over the world, not try and save it." Ash said with a thoughtful expression on his face. "If I were to join your little group, what would I have to do? Be specific."

"Well like I said before, you would have to train some of the lower level members but one of the main things we need you to do is boost Team Flare's reputation. If you show that Team Flare is a force to be reckoned with, everyone will have to take us seriously." Lysandre explained with enthusiasm at the possibility of Ash joining. "All you need to do is beat the Kalos Champion."

"So let me get this straight, I have to get all the badges, win the League tournament, beat the elite four and then defeat the Champion?" Ash said while looking between the two with a look like they were crazy.

"No, no its much simpler than that. Malva here is an elite four member and can recommend you for the elite four challenge."

"Hold on, if she's an elite four member shouldn't she help your reputation? Her strength must be formidable." Ash asked .

"I'm not officially connected to Team Flare, if I was the League might strip me of my position. Plus I have challenged the Champion before and lost so I won't be much help." Malva said seriously.

Ash was at a cross roads and unsure which way to go. He had enjoyed the peaceful life he had lived these last few months, with the honest work and small pleasure of the cafe every night. It had reminded him of a time not so long ago with Red and Yellow, eating dinner and talking about the days events. However he had seen the many homeless who lived in the alleys of the city and despite his less caring personality, it didn't seem right to not do something. But did he want to put himself out in the limelight like that? Did he want to get involved in Lysandre's plans? What if Lysandre wasn't being completely truthful about his plan but did he really care? He couldn't see the people he wanted to, couldn't see his hometown and couldn't even set foot in the Five Regions. Really, what did he have to lose.

"Lysandre, I accept your offer. I will join Team Flare but no suits and I do things my way, deal?" Ash proposed confidently.

"I think I can agree to that." Lysandre said with a smile and shook Ash's hand to seal the deal. "Now that you are part of Team Flare, I need to ask you something. What do you know about the Legendary Pokemon of Kalos?"


	9. Training and getting the Facts

**Chapter 9**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's affiliates.**

** AN: Sorry to all of you who were expecting the elite four battle to be this chapter, it will be next chapter hopefully. This chapter will broaden Ash as a character and give him information he will need later in the story. I would like to thank all those that reviewed, favorited and followed this story, I really appreciate it a lot. A special thanks goes out to the communities who have been gracious enough to add me. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and I hope you tell whether you do or not in a review or PM. Enjoy.**

In this vast world that we live in there are many strange and wondrous people spend their entire lives searching the world for such things. Sometimes however, when you see something with your own eyes it isn't as wondrous as you thought it would be. You feel let down and cheated, like someone lied to you about how great it would be. But then there is the flip side to thatcoin, where something is more than meets the eye. People can be some of the best examples of this because each person isn't just one thing. A person can be a joker who makes people laugh but also a coward who runs from a fight. A generous volunteer at a homeless shelter but also who abuses their spouse. Certain places are like this too, a good example being Lysandre Cafe. Beneath the Cafe there is a whole network of tunnels and rooms that make up Team Flares headquarters. One of the larger rooms of the facility has a battlefield with a running track around it and that is where Ash was meeting his trainees to begin their training program.

Ash was observing the group in front of him with discerning eyes, getting an idea of what he was dealing with. They were short, tall, skinny and fat, male and female. Basically they were average people but what set them apart and put them under Ash's eye was they were part of Team Flare. After a few minutes, the group began to get uncomfortable under Ash's gaze, so Ash decided it was time to begin.

"My name is Ash. Not Mr. Ash, not sir, just Ash end of story. I was hired to help strengthen Team Flare's ranks and make all of you more useful."

There was some murmuring in the group after the "useful" remark but it was stifled by Ash again.

"Now, to begin your training you will run two miles as a warm up. When you finish, see me and I will separate you into pairs."

"You mean our Pokemon run two miles, right?" a young women in the front asked nervously.

"No. You run, your Pokemon will work out later. Now go!" Ash yelled, startling some of the group. Soon everyone got to running while Ash watched to make sure no one slacked off.

"Two miles? A little harsh for their first day, isn't it?" Malva asked as she walked up beside Ash to watch the trainees.

"No, not really. Most Pokemon battles last about ten to fifteen minutes, an average person can run two miles in about sixteen or seventeen minutes. By having the trainer run for the amount of time the Pokemon would battle, the trainer gets an idea of how a Pokemon feels as a battle wears on. Plus it will get them in shape for the combat exercises, so win win." Ash explained smartly, giving Malva a small smile making her blush.

Fighting the blush on her face, Malva nodded. "Wow, I never thought of that before. Its a lot like those people who train with their Pokemon. By dodging attacks, they get an idea how hard and tiring it can be. Very impressive Ash."

"Thank you. I'm sure as an Elite Four member you have some training regimes that are just as effective. I would enjoy hearing them if you had the time, they may be useful with this bunch." Ash said politely, still focused on the trainees.

With a sly smile on her face, Malva turned to look at Ash. "Maybe some other time, perhaps over coffee some evening. Okay?"

"Sure, sounds good." Ash said still not taking his eyes off the trainees.

Smiling brightly, Malva turned back to watching with Ash. A silence came over the two but it wasn't the awkward kind of silence, more of a comfortable kind of silence. Unfortunately the silence had to come to an end.

"Malva, what is Lysandre going to do with the Legendaries?" Ash asked, finally turning to look at her.

"I don't know. He hasn't told me anything about how he will bring about his vision. Actually, when he was talking to you, that was the first time he mentioned them at all." Malva answered seriously.

"Hmm," Ash hummed in thought. "I think I better learn a bit about the Legendaries of the Kalos region. Just in case."

Malva was unsure what to say. As an Elite Four member, she had been educated on the Legendaries and their roles in the world. That was part of why Lysandre had wanted her to join but he had been clear that she shouldn't tell anyone else this information. Thankfully she was spared any more questions because the trainees had began to come back from their run.

When about half of them had finished, Ash decided he would get some information on the trainees and then get them back to training. "Okay, to give you a small break I need all of you to write down what Pokemon you have and how long you have had them." Ash spoke while handing out paper and pencils. "Once your done writing, release your Pokemon and we will begin training." Once Ash finished, a hand shot up from the group. With a small sigh Ash pointed at the hand. "Yes, what is it?"

"Yeah, uh some of us were wondering why you were training us and not Malva. She is a powerful Elite Four member but none of us have ever even heard of you, so what qualifies you to train us?" The young man asked with a cocky smirk on his face.

Losing all humor in his face and voice, Ash narrowed his eyes at the young man who stared back at him. When the young man blinked, Ash had moved from his spot ten feet from him to right next to him. Before the man could say anything Ash had grabbed his throat with one hand, making it hard to breathe let alone talk. Looking at the man coldly, Ash answered. "My qualifications are none of your damn business. If you are going to continue being a problem, you can either leave or I can remove you. Got it?"The man moved his head in a nod as best he could with Ash's hand on his throat. Seeing this, Ash released him and the man moved away rubbing his throat. "Anyone else want to question my qualifications?" receiving no reply, Ash continued "Good, now if you change your minds this Friday I will be challenging the Elite Four and you can decide for yourselves if I'm qualified. Any way that's not important, split into pairs with one on one battles only. Get to it."

As the group began to do what Ash had told them, Malva stood slightly shocked at Ash's actions. She had read the report Lysandre had given her on Ash but seeing something was different than reading it. The speed he had used, the coldness in his voice, and the deadly intent of his actions were so vastly different from the man who had comforted the baby Pokemon in the Cafe. Why had he reacted so strongly to that man's words? "Ash." Malva spoke up getting Ash's attention.

Only turning his head to look at Malva with one eye he answered. "Yes, what is it?" There was still an edge to his voice but he seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"Why did you attack that man? He merely asked a question." Malva stated warily, unsure how Ash would react.

Closing his eyes and turning away from Malva, he began talking in a low, sad voice. "He was questioning my strength, the only thing I have left. I don't expect you to understand."

"I could try if you explain it to me. Please, I won't judge." Malva said while walking up next to Ash and touching his left arm with her hand. Ash flinched at the contact but didn't move away.

Being taller than Malva, Ash turned and looked down into Malva's eyes. Seeing that she was sincere in wanting to know, Ash sighed. "OK but you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

Gripping his arm tighter, she nodded in agreement. "You have my word."

"About five years ago," Ash began. "I lost my mother and oldest Pokemon to a terrible fire, a fire that I was accused of starting. The people that I had called friends then turned on me and blamed me for the fire just like everyone else."

"Oh my." Malva whispered to herself, putting her free hand to her mouth. "That's terrible. How could they do that?"

"After I was convicted, they executed my charizard because supposedly he was the one who started the fire on command. Then I was exiled to the wilderness, never to return." Ash took a deep breathe to calm himself before continuing. "I had everything taken from me, my family, my Pokemon, and even my honor. All I have left is my pride in my strength and my Pokemon's strength. That puny man was doubting my strength and by doing that he hurt my pride. My pride is something I will always keep and fight to the death to defend." Ash finished seriously with a hard expression on his face as he turned back toward where the trainees were.

"Wow, I had no idea. I understand now why you reacted the way you did. But maybe you can find something else to care for as passionately as you and your Pokemon's pride." Malva said hopefully while sliding her hand down Ash's arm and taking his hand in hers.

Finding holding Malva's hand slightly comforting, Ash didn't pull away. "Yeah maybe, someday." Ash said, his voice softening from the hard tone he had used before.

* * *

><p>"So what do you think of his training methods?" Lysandre asked while sitting behind his desk. His office was dark, with books lining both walls and a single chair for visitors. It was very professional and to the point kind of office.<p>

"They are impressive but old fashioned." Malva responded while standing in front of Lysandre's desk. "Mostly endurance, taking attacks to strengthen defenses and battling along side your Pokemon. He is strengthening not only their Pokemon but also the trainers."

A smile spread across Lysandre's face and he leaned back in his chair. "Excellent. He is doing exactly what I expected. If all goes as planned we should be able to move things forward in about two months. Speaking of moving forward, any luck locating the targets?"

"We have some leads on Xerneas that we are following up on but we have had no luck with the other. Perhaps Ash could help with finding Yvetal?"

"Possibly but not yet. After he defeats the Champion we will have no choice but to disclose our whole plan to him. Hopefully he will still agree to help us." Lysandre said with a sigh.

"You have confidence that he will win but are unsure if he will stay, that's unlike you. Normally your sure your plans will succeed no matter what. Whats got you doubting?" Malva asked curiously.

"Ash. He will decide whether this plan succeeds or fails simply by choosing a side in the conflict that is to come." Lysandre answered seriously. "But first things first, has the Elite Four agreed to take this more seriously?"

With a small chuckle, Malva answered. "Yeah, they were pretty enthused about it actually. Usually Diantha is the only one who gets to use mega evolution, so this is quite the treat for them."

"What about Ash? Does he even know about mega evolution?"

"No." Malva responded nervously, looking away from Lysandre.

"Why haven't you told him? You spent the entire day with him, surely you could have brought it up at some point or another." Lysandre spoke, slightly irritated.

"I got distracted talking with him. He's a very interesting person. I'm sorry." Malva stated with her head down.

Sighing heavily and rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Its fine but we better tell him now so he can be prepared. Where is he?"

"Well that's another thing I meant to tell you. After the training ended he told me to give the trainees tomorrow off to heal and that he would be gone till late tomorrow night."

"He left?! Did he say where he was going?" Lysandre said somewhat distressed, standing from his desk with eyes burning.

"No he didn't say. But he wanted me to tell you to keep your nose out of his personal business if you know whats good for you." Malva said, still nervous.

Falling backwards into his chair, Lysandre was silent for along while contemplating the ramifications of the situation before speaking. "Fine, he can do as he pleases. Lets just hope he stays out of trouble."

* * *

><p>"Land near the edge of town." Ash ordered quietly.<p>

"Skar." Skarmory responded with a nod and began to descend towards the edge of the little town.

Looking out at the little town brought back a lot of memories for Ash. He had been born here, grew up here, and lived here. It was his home and always would be. As they landed, Ash returned Skarmory and put the hood of his hoodie he had bought to conceal his identity for the most part.

"Pallet town, somethings never change." Ash whispered to himself as he glanced at the houses and streets that were the same as he remembered. Walking slowly, Ash began heading for his old house. It wasn't a long walk but he was some what apprehensive about seeing it again. Seeing that house, the place that he always came back to after every journey, a place of warmth, comfort and good food would now be empty. The main occupant no longer able to give it that homey feeling that it always had. Ash would rather face the dangerous wilderness with no clothes than face that empty house but some things should never be ignored or forgotten. Your family is one of those things.

Sometimes though, reality is crueler than fiction. As the small house came into view, Ash noticed that most of the lights were on and there was noise coming from the open windows. Sneaking closer, Ash was able to look inside the house and see something that broke what was left of his heart. There was some family living in his house, his childhood home. There was a mother, a father and two little kids, one boy and one girl, all sitting around the kitchen table eating dinner and enjoying themselves. They looked so happy together in the house and all Ash could do was stare in disbelief. Someone had taken the only thing Ash had left of his mother away from him. Granted these people probably didn't know that but that didn't make Ash any less angry. His fists were clenched so tight the knuckles were white. His jaw was set in a hard line and a scowl was on his face. The black flames were flaring all around him and their intensity kept increasing causing the grass near him to shrivel and die.

There was only one person who could have done this and Ash knew where to find him. Without realizing, a pair of black bat wings sprouted from Ash's back. They were black as night and covered in the same black fire as the rest of his body. Turning his head toward a windmill on top of a small hill, Ash disappeared in a flash.

Reappearing outside the front door, Ash raised a fist and knocked the door off its hinges and entered the lab. "Oak! Come out here now!" Ash yelled while looking around the lab. After a moment and sounds of fumbling, an aged man in light blue pajamas appeared.

"What is going on here? Who are you and what are you doing in my lab?" Oak demanded while holding back surprise about the strange man with flames on his body and wings on his back.

Wasting no time for pleasantries, Ash rushed up and grabbed Oak by his pajama top and pinned him to the wall. "You know damn well who I am! Now tell me why there are people living in my mother's house?" Ash demanded.

"Ash? Is that really you?" Oak asked while trying to free himself from Ash's grip.

"Yes, its me!" Ash yelled while lifting Oak off the ground. "Now tell me!"

"Your mom left no will, with you gone it went to public auction. There was nothing I could do. Now please let me down." Oak pleaded while struggling in Ash's grip.

"No that's not good enough! You should have stopped them, that was her house! She loved that house!" Ash ranted angrily, wetness forming in his eyes.

"I know it may not make up for everything but I'm sorry. I'm sorry Ash." Oak said while looking into Ash's eyes, hoping to see forgiveness in them.

Ash was silent but slowly lowered Oak back to the floor. The flames were still burning around Ash but the black wings were beginning to fade. Letting go of the Professor, Ash turned around to face the doorway. "My old Pokemon, are they safe?" Ash said with his voice cracking with emotion.

Rubbing his neck where Ash had grabbed him, Oak sighed. "Yes, they were taken to Pokemon wildlife reserves. They are quite safe I assure you."

"Good. Goodbye." Ash stated and walked out the door and into the night.

"Goodbye Ash. May Arceus guide your path where ever it may lead."

* * *

><p>The land of Sinnoh is an awe inspiring place to see and visit but to see it from the air is truly breathtaking. The snowy mountains to the north, the wetlands and beaches to the south and of course the three beautiful lakes that are home to the Lake Guardians. But Ash was in no mood for looking at all the beautiful sights that Sinnoh had to offer. Having been up for more than twenty four hours, hearing the gut wrenching truth about his mothers house and to top it off having to fly on a hard metal bird for twelve hours, needless to say would put anyone in a foul mood. Despite all that and barely being awake he was able to spot what he was looking for.<p>

"Skarmory land near the edge of town as usual." Ash muttered in a tired tone of voice.

"Skar." A very tired Skarmory replied and began descending at a fast pace toward the outskirts of town.

Landing some what ungracefully, Ash returned Skarmory and made his way into town not even bothering to put his hood up. As tired as he is Ash barely even noticed the small town and its inhabitants, who barely gave him second look. After a moment or so of walking/stumbling through town he was able to make it to Professor Carolina's research lab. Seeing no one in the main area, he went through a door labeled Office and found exactly who he was looking for.

The professor hadn't changed much in the years since Ash saw her last, except for there being more gray color in her hair and wrinkles on her face. She was barely visible behind the mountains of history and research books and stacks of papers on her desk. Wanting to get this over with quick, Ash cleared his throat, which caused the professor to jump slightly. "Good gracious, you scared me."

"Sorry about that professor, but I need to speak to you and I don't have time to wait till you were finished." Ash spoke quickly, hoping to get back and go to sleep for a few hours.

"Its quite alright young man. But I usually like to know who I am talking to before I answer anything. So what is your name?" The professor asked while standing from her chair. She began to walk toward the young man, observing him as she walked.

"My name is Ash."

Slight surprise passed over the professor's face but was replaced by a smile. "I wondered if I would see you again. My dear granddaughter has told me many things about you and what you can do."

"Don't believe all that you hear. Now will you hear my questions, I have many and very little time." Ash demanded in a tired but serious tone.

"Fine, fine. Ask away but I have a few requests when you finish, deal?" The professor smirked knowingly.

Pausing to consider this for a moment, Ash sighed. "Fine. First question, what do you know of the Legendary Pokemon of the Kalos region?"

"Hmm not much really, just some general things." Carolina said with her hand on her chin. There are three main ones, Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. Xerneas is the life Pokemon, it can grant eternal life to both people and Pokemon. Then there is the other side of the coin, Yveltal the destruction Pokemon. Legend says that it has the power to destroy all things and even drain the very life force from living creatures. Then finally there is the third legendary, Zygarde the order Pokemon. It keeps order in the world and keeps life and destruction in balance. That's really all that I know about them. Kalos isn't a region I know much about."

"What could you possibly want with those Pokemon Lysandre?" Ash pondered to himself. Shaking his head, Ash looked at the professor to see her watching him carefully. "No it was very informative. Thank you for telling me what you knew, it helps. Now my next question has to do with something that few people know about anymore. The aura in all living things."

"Ha." The professor chuckled. "You are wondering about your wings, right? When Cynthia told me about you I wondered if you know what you were and what you are capable of."

Holding back his surprise, Ash continued looking at Carolina with a serious expression. This was a subject that he did not like to discuss and hated that others knew about. "Can you just tell me what they are and why I have them?"

"Well, I don't have all the information about Aura Guardian lore but I'll tell you what I know." Taking a breath to collect herself, the professor gave Ash a serious look and continued. "The wings are a sign of the Aura Prince, a powerful being that rarely occurs throughout history to restore order and balance to the world."

"Restore order and balance? How do I do that?" Ash quizzed, grasping most of what she was saying despite his exhausted state.

"The Aura Prince can used both sides of aura. White being the light side and black being the dark side and by using them correctly, restoring balance to the world. By using the white side, the prince can restore life to plants, animals, and humans. However by using the black side, the prince can destroy everything he touches." Carolina finished with the serious expression still on her face.

Ash was amazed at what he was just told and began looking at his hands, like they held the answers. Did he really have all that power inside him? What was he meant to do with this power? So many questions but they would have to wait. "Thank you professor, you have answered my questions and given me much to think about." Ash then turned toward the door but was stopped by the professor.

"Hold on. I believe we had a deal. Didn't forget now did you?"

"I'm sorry. What can I do for you professor?" Ash answered tiredly.

"I want to see it. I want to see your wings." The professor said bluntly.

"Right now? I don't even know how to just bring them out, they come out when I need them." Ash said truthfully.

"When your emotions are high, right?" receiving a nod, Carolina continued. "I thought so. The ancient text says that an Aura Prince's greatest weakness is also his greatest strength. A prince can't hide his emotions, he uses them to draw on his strength but it can be used against him." Seeing Ash take all this in, Professor Carolina motioned to the backdoor. "Come to the backyard." Following the professor without saying anything, Ash wondered what all this was leading up to. Reaching the middle of the backyard, Carolina turned and faced Ash. Cutting straight to the chase. "Get angry."

"What! Why?"

"I told you I want to see the wings, so get angry so the black ones will come out." The professor demanded, leaving no room for argument.

"Your serious?" Seeing no doubt in her eyes, Ash continued. "Okay but I'm not even sure if I can do it." Taking a few steps back, Ash closed his eyes and began thinking about some of the terrible things that had happened to him. His mom and pikachu dieing, losing his friends and being exiled. The more things he thought about, the angrier he got.

Carolina was astounded at what was happening in front of her. The black flames around Ash were dark and dangerous, evident by the burnt grass at his feet but also beautiful at the same time. Then when the flames became pitch black, a pair of midnight black bat wings began to expand from Ash's back. The professor's mouth was open in amazement, she had never seen anything like this in all her long years as a professor. "Amazing."

"Rawr!" Ash yelled as the flames burst outward from him in a wave. The flames singed everything that they touched including the professor who winced from the minor burns. The wings had disappeared and Ash was panting heavily.

"Quite impressive Ash." Professor Carolina said while rubbing one of the burns her hand.

"Thanks, I think." Ash panted. "Is that all you wanted from me?"

"Yes, that will do." Thank you for showing me."

Nodding in understanding, Ash released the still tired Skarmory and climbed on. Just before he was able to take off, Carolina spoke up. "A word of advice before you go, find someone who will be there for you. Everyone needs some one in their life that they can rely on and you of all people need as much support and stability as you can get. Especially for what lies ahead for you."

"I don't have the luxury of friends if that's what you mean professor." Ash spoke with no emotion in his voice.

"No, I meant something else." Seeing Ash's raised eyebrow, Carolina decided to explain. "A good women who stands by a good man can make him a great man."

Looking away, Ash replied in a low tone. "Well if I see any good men I'll let them know." Ash then urged Skarmory to the sky and back towards Kalos.


End file.
